Obama shares boyhood crush on Qantas flight attendant at Sydney event

Former US President Barack Obama arrived in Australia on Monday and has given two talks in Sydney and Melbourne. File photo / Getty Images

The former US president’s has been enjoying a tour of Australia, which he says has stirred some boyish memories of a certain airline employee.

Barack Obama stopped off in Sydney this week for his speaking tour An Evening with President Obama. Some 9000 attendees were drawn to hear the 44th president talk geopolitics, statecraft and anecdotes from eight years in the Whitehouse on Tuesday.

The show was reportedly delayed by queues and crowds, some of whom had paid $960 for signed books and plum seats to hear the politician speak. Australian PM Anthony Albanese even got a photo with Potus 44, in a very rainy Sydney Harbour.

What they weren’t expecting was a recollection of his love for Australia, stemming from an encounter with a mystery airline worker.

We should quickly add that the prez-to-be was aged eight at the time, travelling with the carrier Qantas as an unaccompanied child.

“I was travelling from Indonesia where my mother was living at the time, to my grandparents in Hawaii and I was travelling unaccompanied,” he said.

Obama recounted being enthralled by the stewardess who had been assigned childminding duties.

“We had to stop for a day for the connecting flight and Qantas stewardess took very good care of me,” he said, recalling being supplied with Coca-Cola and comic books for the flight.

“I had a big crush on her,” he said, to the delight of the audience.

“I felt very sophisticated, very worldly, travelling on my own and so that’s my first association with Sydney. And it just keeps getting better every time I come back.”

Although the former ‘leader of the free world’ was in town to discuss other weighty issues, such as the war in Ukraine and his response as President to school shootings, there was also time to do some sightseeing.

He and Michelle were treated to a sightseeing tour of North Harbour with Australian prime minister and lunch at the Balmoral Bathers’ Pavilion, before a tour of the Sydney Opera House at Circular Quay.

The Obamas continued their Australian tour with another speaking event last night, at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena. He is due at further public engagements as part of his Evening With Barack Obama in Europe next month.

The ex-president is not expected this side of the ditch but was last seen in New Zealand golfing at Northland’s exclusive Kauri Cliffs resort in 2018.