At the dazzling All England ** Awards ceremony, Australian diva Kylie Minovue should have been the center of attention, but an unexpected vignette pushed the ceremony to the forefront.
On a whim, British host Roman Kemp asked Kelly to participate in an Australian tradition known as "shoey" - drinking with shoes.
This seemingly nonsensical proposal caused an immediate uproar. Despite Kylie's reluctance, at the host's insistence, she reluctantly took off her high heels and asked Kemp to pour the wine into them, and then the two awkwardly raised their glasses to "drink together".
This scene spread quickly after being captured, and there was an uproar in Australia, and even the British "Guardian" couldn't help but exclaim that this was a "diplomatic incident".
The Guardian reported that Kemp's behaviour was arrogant and disrespectful, completely ignoring Kelly's feelings and wishes.
The article points out that while "shoey" is indeed an existential drinking tradition in Australia, it is clearly inappropriate to force a reluctant public figure to engage in such an act, especially on the international stage.
As the incident continued to ferment, Australian Prime Minister Albanese also had to stand up and speak out. In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, he made it clear that he supported Kelly's decision, believing that she had the right to do whatever she wanted. Albanese did not hesitate to respond to the moderator's hypothesis of "ASEAN summit 'shoey'", saying that such a scenario would never appear at the upcoming ASEAN-Australia special summit.
Not only did the incident put Kylie Minogue in the spotlight, but it also brought Australia's traditional culture back into the international spotlight. Perhaps, in the future, when the tradition of "shoey" is mentioned, one cannot help but think of this farcical "diplomatic incident".