‘Tis the season for politicians in Hawaiian shirts with their glowing partners to reveal ‘the real me’. And Anthony Albanese’s found a new, ultra-sympathetic outlet: the longform podcast interview.

Find out more about The Front podcast here. You can read about this story and more on The Australian's website or on The Australian’s app.

This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Tiffany Dimmack. Our team includes Lia Tsamoglou, Tiffany Dimmack, Joshua Burton, Stephanie Coombes and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Albo and the art of the soft-soap interview