Akshata Murty says husband Rishi Sunak is the better cook, tidier; netizens call couple ‘out of touch’

United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty said in a recent interview that he is a better cookeven though he does not get much time to spend in the kitchen with a busy day job running the country. However, Grazia’s women’s magazine interview of the couple ahead of International Women’s Day also garnered criticism from netizens.

British Indian couple talk domestic chores and more

During the joint interview at 10 Downing Street, the couple spoke about their day-to-day lives, daughters Krishna (12) and Anoushka (11), and how the country’s most high-profile couple share domestic duties.

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“Rishi is the better cook. I do have a great deal of enthusiasm, but Rishi definitely has more talent in that department,” Murty said. It’s “mainly just breakfast on Saturday mornings now. Gordon Ramsay’s scrambled eggs,” Sunak added.

Murty, a businesswoman, also said she is “not a morning person,” and that Sunak is the tidier of the two.

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To which Sunak said, “But you also just don’t like making the bed and it bugs me. I actually sometimes come up back into the flat from the office after we’ve all left to make the bed because I’ll be irritated if it’s not been made.”

The couple met while they attended Stanford University, and Murty also reportedly said how her untidy habits would annoy him even back then, admitting that she is not the most organised person compared to her husband.

Now, at 43, the couple said that they divide the tasks from her taking charge of the kids’ homework and him taking care of the rest.

The couple also shared how they wind down for the day by watching reruns of episodes of the popular sitcom Friends, which they both love. “I’m too exhausted when I get home so I watch an episode of ‘Friends’ and go to bed,” shared the UK PM.

‘Out of touch’

While the interview was supposed to be a light-hearted insight into Sunak and Murthy’s lives, most people found it “tone deaf” and “out of touch”.

The magazine had interviewed the couple ahead of International Women’s Day to find out how “the country’s most high-profile couple share domestic duties.”

The UK PM also mentioned how in his free time he reorganises the dishwasher after his wife has loaded it. When asked about his favourite chore, he was torn. “Hard choice: dishwasher-stacking, making bed. Both have a satisfying ending,” said Sunak.

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The magazine has reportedly lost around 1,000 followers since the interview and their comments section on social media flooded with criticism.

“The net worth of this family is expected to be close to a Billion pounds soon. They are already twice as wealthy as the King,” said Caroline Hirons, a writer and skincare expert, in a comment on Instagram. She added, “Ain’t no-one in this family doing ‘chores’.”

Similarly, several others pointed out how the attempt to make the couple seem more relatable backfired. “It’s like they’ve been given 24 hours to prove they’re real people,” said one user on X.

The interview comes as Sunak is preparing for his first general election as the leader of the Conservative Party, and it may take place during the second half of this year.

(With inputs from agencies)