Anthony Albanese criticised over ‘shag, marry, date’ Kylie Minogue podcast comments

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been criticised over comments made while playing a “shag, marry, date” game on a popular podcast. Appearing on the Bush Deep podcast with host Nikki Osborne, the Prime Minister was asked to choose which celebrity he would sleep with, marry or date between Australians Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, and Rhonda Burchmore. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Anthony Albanese under fire for podcast comments on Kylie Minogue “I’ve just got married, I’m only six months in,” he said, at first diplomatically before responding: “Kylie, clearly”. “You’d marry Kylie and shag her and date her?” Osborne verified. “All of the above,” he said. The exchange has prompted criticism from commentators who say the Prime Minister’s efforts to connect with younger audiences through podcasts and social media trends risk diminishing the authority of the office. 7NEWS Political Editor Mark Riley told Sunrise on Sunday there were other ways to engage audiences. “Anthony is doing a lot of podcasts, and he does a lot of FM radio; he does a lot of connecting with various sorts of media. That’s a good thing, but you have to do it in a way that doesn’t diminish your authority, particularly among women,” he said. Riley said Albanese should have simply declined to answer the question. “It’s pretty simple to say ‘I don’t like that question. That’s not for me’,” Riley said. Amid the rise of One Nation as well as a desire to grab younger voters, politicians are increasingly turn to podcasts and social media platforms in an effort to reach audiences who may not engage with traditional political coverage. However, commentators warn that while those appearances can help broaden a politician’s reach, they can also backfire if they appear out of step with the issues dominating voters’ lives. “They do podcasts to be like the cool kids. Well, Prime Minister, you’re not; you’re a 63-year-old national leader; you’ve got to act like one,” Riley said. Riley added Australians were more concerned with the pressures of everyday life than with seeing political leaders take part in viral internet trends. “The national conversation, the serious national conversation that families have every day about the struggle bringing up the kids, keeping your job, paying off the mortgage, getting a car, a good education — that’s in the kitchens and the lounge rooms of Australian families, not in the front bars or the footy change rooms, prime minister,” he said.