Anthony Albanese has said he should not have appeared on a podcast where he engaged in a joke about the Japanese prime minister’s gift to him of melons.
During an appearance on the comedy podcast Bush Deep last month, the prime minister explained that Japan’s leader, Sanae Takaichi, offered him royal Japanese melons and appeared to make hand gestures in front of his chest, saying “she brought two, as you do”. Host Nikki Osborne joked: “She came in looking like Pamela Anderson.”
The appearance sparked a furore in sections of the media over the apparent sexual innuendo. He later apologised for “elements of the podcast”.
In an interview with ABC’s 7.30 last night, Albanese was asked what he learned from the experience. He said:
“I learned that I need to do better every day, and of course, if I had my time again, which you don’t, then I wouldn’t have done that podcast. You know, we have a view which is [we’re] trying to talk to as many people as possible, but clearly that was an error.”