British television presenter Martin Bashir has apologised after making a series of sexist remarks to a room full of American journalists.

Bashir who now works for ABC in America said he was "happy to be in the midst of so many Asian babes" at the dinner in Chicago last month.

"In fact, I'm happy that the podium covers me from the waist down," he added.

With his co-presenter on ABC's 20/20 news programme, Juju Chang, standing nearby, Bashir went on to say a speech should be "like a dress on a beautiful woman – long enough to cover the important parts and short enough to keep your interest – like my colleague Juju's".

Chang replied: "See what I have to put up with?", as some members of the audience from the Asian American Journalists Association began to boo.

Bashir apologised for his comments in a letter to the organisation published in the latest edition of the New York magazine.

He is known for his interviews with Princess Diana and Michael Jackson.