Who is his fiance Jodie Haydon?

They met for a beer at Young Henry’s brewery in Newtown, and Albanese soon invited him to the Woodford folk festival. They discovered they had a lot in common. Passionate about music; He worked in the music department of Grace Bros. for years. Brave was raised by a single mother; her guiding light was her grandmother, who devoted herself to teachers’ college and raised nine children while juggling a career.

Their values were also compatible. Haydon’s grandparents, both his parents and his eight aunts and uncles who watched ABC, were public school teachers who voted Labour. As he told News Corp in 2022, his parents taught him: “If you care about education, if you care about where you get healthcare, if you care about public transport, if you care about the planet, if you care about justice, if you care about equality, you need to be interested in politics.”

The COVID-19 quarantine created some seclusion for the couple in the early months of their relationship, during which they cooked together, watched television shows and listened to music. But in mid-2020, they were caught kissing on Woolloomooloo Pier. That’s when Haydon, described by those who knew him as warm, friendly and down-to-earth, realized his simple, private love had turned into something quite extraordinary.

Suddenly, her photo was in the newspapers and the curious eyes of the press gallery were on her relationship. Haydon had been single for a long time; now she was with one of Australia’s best-known political figures. But Albanese said he realized “how much you love this person” when he was in a serious car accident in early 2021. Australian Women’s Weekly In March 2022. “When I got into the ambulance and saw Anthony, I realized the depth of my feelings for him.”

Less than 18 months after their meeting, Albanese became prime minister. That’s when Haydon’s once ordinary life became truly surreal.

He was being serviced by Commonwealth staff at The Lodge. French President Emmanuel Macron kissed her hand. He walked down the aisle of Westminster Abbey at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral and returned again six months later for King Charles’ coronation. During his visit to the United States, First Lady Jill Biden gave him a pair of sand shoes to make his walk back to the official guesthouse more comfortable. “Jodes should keep them,” Albanese said afterwards.

Haydon, who works in financial services, is careful to reserve a place for himself in this vortex. “I have my own professional path, my own identity and purpose,” he said Weekly. “I continue to work full-time and my employer has been very supportive. When I’m at work I’m just Jodie, not the PM’s partner.”

But there is an unpleasant side to this role, as Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s ex-boyfriend Tim Mathieson, one of the prime ministers’ two de facto partners, can attest. They are in this role because of their personal rather than professional decisions (Haydon is one of the few to have met her partner after her political rise) but their attire, deeds and decisions are subject to public scrutiny.

During a particularly awkward radio interview, FM presenter Kyle Sandilands asked Albanese if she and Haydon had sexual relations in the White House. Albanese replied: “What goes on tour, stays on tour, Kyle. You know that for sure.”

Being a Prime Minister’s spouse can also make it difficult to work if there are perceived conflicts of interest; Kevin Rudd’s wife Therese Rein sold her $175 million business to avoid embarrassing him. Haydon works as a women’s officer for the Public Service Association of NSW but has recently accepted key roles such as patron of the National Portrait Gallery (a role traditionally held by associates of prime ministers) and ambassador for children’s cancer charity Redkite.

Albanese became the first Australian prime minister to marry while in office. As Haydon admitted after visiting the White House, where she wore a dress that took four months to craft, she set a high bar for herself. “I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get over this on date night with Jodie,” he said.

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