London, Aug. 7: TV journalist Martin Bashir has apologised for making what he called a "tasteless" comment about Asian women.

Speaking at the Asian American Journalists Association annual banquet in Chicago, he said: "I''m happy to be in the midst of so many Asian babes. "In fact, I''m happy that the podium covers me from the waist down."

But in a letter published in New York magazine, the 45-year-old said: "Upon reflection, it was a tasteless remark that I now bitterly regret."