Karl Stefanovic, emerging from an overseas holiday, has criticized Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's recent remarks made during a podcast interview. The comments, which involved a 'shag, marry or date' game with Australian celebrities, led to an apology from the Prime Minister.
Albanese participated in the game on the Bush Deep podcast, hosted by Nikki Osborne. When asked to choose between shagging, marrying, or dating Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, and Rhonda Burchmore, Albanese stated he would 'shag' Minogue, adding "All of the above. She's terrific." He had initially prefaced his answer by mentioning he was only six months into his marriage.
The Prime Minister later issued an apology for the comments, calling them "unequivocal." The remarks drew criticism from various political figures. Independent Fowler MP Dai Le described the comments as "unbecoming of a gentleman" and suggested Albanese might be attempting to appeal to a younger demographic. Community Strong MP Zali Steggall stated it was "entirely inappropriate" and that the Prime Minister should have pushed back against the question, calling it sexist.
Stefanovic, who has been on an extended vacation in the United Kingdom and France, shared his thoughts via Instagram. He described Albanese's comment as "a little greasy" and suggested that a similar remark from someone on the political right would have caused a greater outcry. He also questioned the prioritization of apologizing for the podcast remarks over the federal budget, which he characterized as "one of the most publicly despised budgets of all time."