Jodie Haydon talks about her love for Anthony Albanese and her new role as ‘First Lady’

Jodie Haydon has revealed how her first official trip with Anthony Albanese brought them closer together — but jokes our new PM could learn a thing or two from the French President about how to treat a lady.

Fresh from her first “First Lady” tour of Europe, Jodie Haydon has revealed how the trip brought her closer with Australia’s new PM, and tells of her fears for his safety on a top-secret visit to war-torn Ukraine.

“I’d been doing so well all day in preparation for him going,” she says of the moment she farewelled Anthony Albanese.

“There was some hugs and some embraces, and we get outside and the car’s waiting and suddenly it hits me, ‘he’s going to a war zone’.

“But I’m just so grateful that he’s home, safe, as is the rest of the team.”

In a wide-ranging interview with 7 NEWS political editor Mark Riley to air at 7pm Sunday on Spotlight, Ms Haydon talks frankly about the pair’s relationship.

The enormity of Anthony Albanese’s visit to Ukraine hit partner Jodie Haydon hard. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The 44-year-old described her anguish at finding out Mr Albanese, 59, was in a car crash — and how the January 2021 incident was a “defining moment” in their budding relationship.

“When I got to the accident and I saw the car before I saw Anthony, and I remember thinking at the time, ‘this can’t end well’,” she said. “And that overwhelming sense of ‘what if I lose him?’ And I knew then that, yeah, I love him. And I love him deeply.”

In the interview, Ms Haydon addressed the moment Emmanuel Macron grabbed her hand, when she and Mr Albanese met the French President and his wife Brigitte Macron. Picture: AAP Image

And while the months since the May election have only brought them closer together, Ms Haydon said it was a nudge from the French that showed her the couple should hold hands more.

Asked about the moment French President Emmanuel Macron took her hand in footage that went viral, she said “it was very French”.

“Anthony doesn’t do that. I might have to have a word to him about it,” she said.

The financial services worker and Mr Albanese met in Melbourne in March 2020 and quickly bonded over their love of the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Mr Albanese divorced his former wife Carmel Tebbutt in 2019.

Mr Albanese spoke of the personal support he receives from “Jodie, and I have Nathan, my son. And of course, the First Dog Toto”.

The Labor man also fielded questions on the loyalty of two-time election loser Bill Shorten, saying he was assured there would be no more leadership challenges.

“He’s had two shots at the election and wasn’t successful,” Mr Albanese said of the Government Services Minister.

“He now is a member of my cabinet. He’s doing a good job. And I’m very confident that he’ll be a constructive member of my team.”

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