Anthony Albanese reveals how his ex-wife Carmel Tebbutt factored into his buy of a $4.3million clifftop mansion – because the PM spills a serious element about his marriage ceremony to Jodie Haydon

Anthony Albanese has defended his purchase of a $4.3million clifftop mansion  which triggered furious backlash amid the cost-of-loving and housing crisis.

Struggling Aussies erupted when news broke last September of the Prime Minister’s new five-bedroom waterfront property at Copacabana on the NSW Central Coast, which he shares with his fiancée Jodie Haydon.

Mr Albanese was grilled about his property portfolio by Karl Stefanovic during a wide-ranging interview which aired on 60 Minutes on Sunday night ahead of the upcoming federal election, which will be held on or before May 17.

He also candidly shared plans about his upcoming wedding to Ms Haydon and the major role his beloved cavoodle Toto will play.

The couple have been together since 2020 and began dating 18 months after his first marriage to former NSW deputy premier Carmel Tebbutt ended.

During a one-on-one chat with the Prime Minister, Stefanovic asked whose ‘harebrained’ idea it was to purchase the Copacabana home.

Mr Albanese, who turned 62 on Sunday, insisted that the decision was a personal rather than a political one, citing the need for a fresh start.

‘Look, Jodie and I are getting married,’ he began.

‘What you don’t do is move into the family home where Carmel and I raised Nathan (their son) together as a family.

‘And guess what Karl, I won’t be Prime Minister going into my eighties and therefore, we have bought a place close to where Jodie grew up, where her family are all based.

He added that his fiancee was a proud ‘Coastie’.

‘It was very much a personal decision, not a political one. And I think Australians get that,’ Mr Albanese added.

He was unfazed when asked about the out of touch perception the purchase sparked.

‘I’m pretty resilient, Karl, and if you’re worried about every bit of criticism that was out there, then life would be much more difficult than it is,’ he replied.

The couple also opened up about their upcoming nuptials later this year, where Mr Albanese’s cavoodle Toto will be ring bearer.

Sitting down for a separate interview with the couple, Stefanovic cheekily asked if he could be MC at the reception.

‘How much do you charge?’ Ms Haydon asked.

Stefanovic replied: ‘Mates rates. I’m prepared to look at it.’

Mr Albanese suggested: ‘Maybe you can DJ?’

When the couple were asked about their wedding song, Ms Haydon suggested Bruce Springsteen.

‘Born in the USA?,’ Stefanovic asked before he was quickly shut down by Mr Albanese.

‘Wrong vibe, I think,’ he replied, referencing US President Donald Trump. 

Ms Haydon also revealed she never imagined she would ever become Australia’s First Lady.

‘Absolutely not,’ she said.

‘I think many of my other single girlfriends and I thought we would end up like the Golden Girls one day, we’d all live together up the coast, and that would be life.

‘So on these trips that we do, I actually take them quite seriously, because you know that you are also representing Australia in those moments.’

Ms Haydon also revealed that her fiance is ‘a little OCD’ and that the bathroom often causes arguments.

‘When things start to migrate over (to Mr Albanese’s side), I know when I’ve gone too far,’ Ms Haydon said. 

Mr Albanese interrupted: ‘I completely… have to be organised, things done in a certain way.’

He remains hopeful of a second term in office, despite the polls suggesting otherwise.

‘I won’t die wondering,’ Mr Albanese said.

‘I’m determined to win.

‘But down the track, it is absolutely delightful to meet someone who you want to spend the rest of your life with. We’re best friends as well.’