ABC star Annabel Crabb blasted by viewers for featuring Peter Dutton in softball Kitchen Cabinet segment: ‘It’s a sycophantic puff piece’

Veteran ABC star Annabel Crabb is under fire for platforming federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton on her popular talk show Kitchen Cabinet.

The conservative politician won’t appear on the series until next week’s episode, but Crabb’s decision to break bread with Dutton is already ruffling feathers on social media.

In particular, Crabb has faced backlash for describing Dutton’s politics as ‘muscular’ during a promotional interview for Kitchen Cabinet on ABC News.

One concerned viewer tweeted, ‘I don’t need a sycophantic puff piece to have Dutton “reveal” anything about himself. Every hateful word and action has revealed all I need to know about him.’

Some viewers argued that Kitchen Cabinet should be cancelled due to its problematic nature. 

ABC viewers have expressed their outrage on X (formerly Twitter) over the segment

‘Kitchen Cabinet shouldn’t be renewed for another season. Trying to humanise a politician who is manipulatively pushing a no vote is not defensible,’ complained one.

Another wrote, ‘Tend to share the surprise that #KitchenCabinet has come back. Much prefer #BackRoads, which captures people in authentic settings dealing with everyday life rather than providing a fake stage for reputational enhancement via trivial banter.’

In a piece for ABC, Crabb complimented Dutton’s personality, writing that he’s ‘shyer than you’d think. Funnier than you’d think, too.’

She also explained her decision to go for a softer approach with Dutton on Kitchen Cabinet, which features a mix of home cooking and friendly conversation between Crabb and her guests.

‘As far as the question about, “Are you giving these people a free ride?” Well, sure,’ she said on ABC News.

‘I’m interviewing them in a way that is different than your Sarah Ferguson boot-on-the-throat variety, which is absolutely necessary for our democracy, but I also think sometimes when you take a different approach, particularly when you’re in someone’s house, you’re polite to them, you’re not going to start chucking stuff at them.

‘But if you make them feel comfortable enough they will often reveal things about themselves that are actually quite interesting and key to understanding them, and I think that’s certainly true of the Dutton episode.’

The veteran ABC star has acknowledged that she’s taking a softer approach with her show and doesn’t want to engage in combative dialogue with her guests 

Crabb also seemed to acknowledge the inevitable backlash she was going to receive in a piece for ABC, writing, ‘There is no viewer alive who will be a fan of all eight of the guests on Kitchen Cabinet this year.

‘But these people make decisions on behalf of us all. Half an hour spent getting to know how they tick is time well spent.’

Outside of Dutton, the latest season of Kitchen Cabinet will feature a wide variety of political figures including Bridget McKenzie of the National Party and former Greens senator Lidia Thorpe.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to ABC for comment.  

Kitchen Cabinet is currently airing on ABC and available to stream on iView.