Anthony Albanese offered to quit politics after wife Carmel Tebbutt said their marriage was over

Anthony Albanese has been candid about his devastation when his wife ended their marriage, revealing that he almost quit politics to win her back.

Carmel Tebbutt, his wife of 19, dropped her bombshell on New Year’s Day in 2019, prompting Mr Albanese to argue that he would trade his political career to save their marriage.

Ms Tebbutt and Mr Albanese met at a Young Labor event in the late 1980s and had been together for over 30 years, and tied the knot in 2000.

Carmel Tebbutt, his wife of 19, dropped her bombshell on New Year’s Day in 2019, prompting Mr Albanese to argue that he would trade politics to save their marriage

She had been his closest confidant and political sounding board, but that all changed “instantly.”

‘I thought we would spend our lives together,’ said Mr. Albanian the Australianrecalling the tremendous shock that struck him.

But Ms Tebbutt, herself a former NSW Deputy Prime Minister, declined the offer.

Her stance left the then Grayndler MP shocked and unsure of his future at age 56, The Australian reported.

Within a year of becoming Labor leader, Mr Albanese had started a new relationship with Jodie Haydon, whom he had met at dinner a year after he split from Mrs Tebbutt.

Anthony Albanese has claimed election victory and will join an exclusive club of unmarried prime ministers with his partner Jodie Haydon (pictured together during his Saturday night victory speech)

When his offer to sacrifice his political future to try and rekindle their love was turned down, Mr Albanese admits he was “not in a great personal state.”

“I personally found that very traumatic and I wondered what to do with my life because it went one way and then it didn’t.”

He wasn’t even sure he wanted to contest his seat in the upcoming 2019 elections.

Ms. Albanese soon learned that the only way forward from the dark place he was in was to accept her decision — and not even try to understand it.

On the advice of friends not to rethink his life, he stayed with his son Nathan in the family home.

He then gathered the energy to take an overseas holiday alone for the 2019 elections, to Britain and then to Portugal, where he met the Foreign Secretary.

Mr Albanese said he should then ask himself ‘Am I capable of this?’ and decided to continue.

When then Labor leader Bill Shorten was defeated in the May 2019 election and stepped down, Mr Albanese stepped forward and was confirmed on 30 May 2019 when the only other candidate Chris Bowen withdrew.

Mr Albanese is pictured in 2013 (left) and 2022 (right) after losing 18kg in less than a year

Anthony Albanese’s ex-wife, Carmel Tebbutt, has continued to support her former husband during his election campaign by handing out flyers at a voting booth

Within a year, Mr. Albanian had started a new relationship with Jodie Haydon, whom he had met over dinner a year after Ms Tebbutt’s divorce.

After a car accident in January 2021, Mr Albanian took his next bold step forward, with a weight loss program and then a makeover ahead of the 2022 elections.

He lost a whopping 18 kg in less than a year by cutting carbohydrates, exercising more and not drinking alcohol for three months.

During a bumpy but ultimately successful election campaign in 2022, Ms. Tebbutt continued to support her ex-husband.

She handed out flyers for Linda Burney in Barton’s chair in a voting booth and even cared for Toto, her former husband’s beloved cavoodle, three years after she suddenly left their marriage.

In May 2022, Ms Haydon, 43, and Mr Albanese became only the second unmarried couple to receive the keys to the Prime Minister’s residences, after Julia Gillard and her partner Tim Mathieson in 2013.