Albanese apologizes after podcast remarks about Kylie Minogue

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has apologized for remarks he made about pop star Kylie Minogue during a podcast interview. The interview took place at the prime minister’s official residence in Canberra and was released at the end of last week. On the Bush Deep podcast, host Nikki Osborne asked him to choose between Minogue, actress Nicole Kidman, and entertainer Rhonda Burchmore. After first saying he had just gotten married, Albanese replied, "Oh, Kylie, clearly." He later said, "All of the above." Several lawmakers criticized the comments. Zali Steggall called them entirely inappropriate, while Sarah Henderson said they were disrespectful to women and embarrassing to Australians. Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles said the government is committed to women’s equality.