Margot Robbie, an Australian, briefly forgets what ‘barbie’ means in Australia

The ‘Barbie’ star appeared embarrassed by her blunder

Margot Robbie had a momentary memory lapse when asked about the quintessential Australian “barbie”.

The Barbie star, 32, is currently promoting the forthcoming film alongside director Greta Gerwig and other members of the cast, including Ryan Gosling and Issa Rae.

During an appearance on Australian network Channel 10’s The Project talk show, co-host Sam Taunton mentioned to Gerwig that the word “barbie” does not refer to the iconic doll in the country.

He said: “It means so much to so many people. I’m not sure if Margot told you, but the word ‘barbie’ means something else in Australia. Did you brief Greta about it?”

But Robbie, who was born in the rural town of Dalby in Queensland, Australia, appeared confused and asked: “What does it mean here?”

Taunton and the other hosts appeared aghast at Robbie’s question, with another host chiming in: “A barbecue!”

Robbie exclaimed: “Oh!” before covering her face with her hand in embarrassment as others in the studio burst out laughing.

One of the co-hosts said: “I was like, ‘Oh my god! We’ve lost her!”

In an attempt to explain her brief confusion, Robbie said: “I’m so Barbie now, I can’t even… You’re right, a barbie, having a barbie.”

Taunton then asked Gerwig: “Yeah, that’s what we call a barbecue. So you weren’t aware of that?”

Gerwig appeared still stunned by Robbie’s forgetfulness and stammered: “I mean… not as such.”

Meanwhile, Robbie tried again to rescue her Australian reputation and said: “I’m blaming the jet lag, by the way. Don’t blame the blonde hair, blame the jet lag.”

The co-host pointed out there had been no promotional cross-over for Barbie and a “barbie” during the cast’s campaign leg in Australia, to which the Suicide Squad star replied: “I’m deeply regretting that there’s not, now that you mention it. What a wasted opportunity.”

“Yeah, Barbie at a barbie, grilling some snacks,” Taunton added, with Robbie growling: “Grrr, I’m really annoyed we didn’t do something like this.”

Gerwig joked: “We’re going to make you grill after this.”

Margot Robbie has been channelling Barbie’s retro and pink-obsessed style for the press tour so far (Jordan Strauss/AP) (AP)

Since setting off on the press tour ahead of the movie’s release on 21 July, Robbie has delighted fans by wearing a number of Barbie-inspired outfits at various photocalls around the world.

On Friday (30 June), she attended Vogue Australia’s Barbie celebration party which saw a pink carpet rolled out inside Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Robbie wore a sparkling pink Glomesh mini-dress by Versace.

She has also been seen wearing designers including Herve Leger, Moschino, Chanel, and Bottega Veneta while on tour.

Margot Robbie and America Ferrera attend the "Barbie" Celebration Party at Museum of Contemporary Art on June 30, 2023 (Getty Images)

Earlier this week, she revealed the behind-the-scenes set-up that was used to film the viral Barbie scene that features a close-up of her feet stepping out of a pair of fluffy pink heels.

She confirmed in an interview with Fandango that they were her own feet and that the shoes stayed on the ground with the help of some double-sided tape, so she could get her feet out of them with ease.

Gerwig’s hotly anticipated Barbie will follow Robbie as the titular character as she journeys from Barbieland to the human world. Other celebrities who will star in the movie include Simu Liu, Dua Lipa, Ncuti Gatwa, Michael Cera, and Kate McKinnon.

Barbie is released in cinemas on 21 July.