Nigel Farage has defended Donald Trump over his highly controversial comments about women, insisting they simply reflected 'alpha male boasting' and 'the kind of thing men do'.

The interim Ukip leader admitted that the video from 2005 of Trump saying stars can 'do anything' to women, including grabbing them 'by the p***y, were 'ugly'.

But he added: 'Quite a lot of women say things amongst themselves that they would not want to see on Fox News.'

Farage's defence of the Republican presidential candidate was in stark contrast to British ministers.

Justine Greening, the Education Secretary and minister for women, branded the comments 'utterly crass'.

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Nigel Farage (pictured in St Louis, Missouri where he is helping Trump prepare for his debate against Hillary Clinton tonight) has played down Donald Trump's highly controversial comments about women as 'alpha male boasting' and 'the kind of thing men do'

Her colleague Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, echoed her sentiment today as he said it was 'tempting' to condemn Trump but refused to go further, insisting it would be wrong to 'intervene in the US election' by criticising the Republican candidate.

He told the Andrew Marr Show today: 'We have to be very careful not to comment on other people's elections, because we have to respect democracy and we have to work with whoever wins.'

Farage is currently in St Louis, Missouri to help Trump prepare for his crucial presidential debate against Hillary Clinton, in which his remarks about women are set to dominate.

Even Trump's closest allies have condemned him for the remarks, with dozens of Republican senators, representatives and governors withdrawing their support and discussing the possibility of his vice-presidential running mate Mike Pence replacing him on the ticket along with Ben Carson.

Asked about Trump's comments, Farage - who has been hailed as 'Mr Brexit' by the Repulican presidential nominee - said: 'Look, this is alpha male boasting. It's the kind of thing, if we are being honest, that men do. They sit around and have a drink and they talk like this.

'By the way, quite a lot of women say things amongst themselves that they would not want to see on Fox News, or the front page of a newspaper. I'm not pretending it's good - it's ugly, it is ugly.'

Donald Trump (pictured yesterday) apologized for the words he said in 2005 that were released on Friday, in which he says stars like him can 'do anything' to women

But Greening told ITV's Peston on Sunday show this morning: 'As a woman I felt they were utterly crass.

'Obviously it's up to the American people to decide whether they think he's the right person to be their president.'

Education Secretary and minister for women Justine Greening (pictured on the Peston on Sunday show this morning) branded the comments 'utterly crass'

Mr Farage's comments echo the initial response of Mr Trump who dismissed the obscene language on a 2005 video tape as 'locker room banter' before the scale of the crisis overwhelming his presidential campaign forced him to issue an apology for the remarks.

Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson lashed out at Mr Farage, saying he 'devalues himself' by acting as 'the UK cheerleader' for Mr Trump.

'Nigel Farage's description of Donald Trump's appalling remarks as 'alpha male boasting' and his insistence that talking about women in these terms is 'the kind of thing men do' betray a very troubling attitude to women,' Mr Watson said.

'There are very few men who would describe demeaning women in this way as 'boasting'.

'Nigel Farage seems to be enjoying his new job as the UK cheerleader for Trump but in so doing he devalues himself and his party in the minds of the decent people of our country.'

On the tape, Mr Trump, who was newly married to his third wife, Melania, at the time, talks about making a pass at a married woman, saying: 'I moved on her and I failed, I'll admit it ... I did try and f*** her. I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn't get there. And she was married.'

Donald Trump (pictured) is facing calls to quit the presidential election after a video from 2005 emerged on Friday of him saying stars can 'do anything' to women, including grabbing them 'by the p***y'

Mr Trump then talks about going after women, saying: 'I am automatically attracted to beautiful women. I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss, I don't even wait ... and when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.'

'Grab them by the p***y. You can do anything.'

Mrs Trump has said she was offended by the remarks, but they did not represent the man she knew.

'The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me. This does not represent the man that I know. He has the heart and mind of a leader.'

Mr Trump has insisted there is 'zero chance' he will quit the race for the White House after the comments provoked a firestorm of outrage.

The remarks have seen him dubbed 'the groper in chief' on social media and been branded 'horrific' by Mrs Clinton, and 'sickening' by the Republican speaker of the US house of representatives, Paul Ryan.

After a series of retweets from his supporters who called the GOP establishment 'traitors' who 'don't count' in the election, Trump sent out another a tweet aimed at the Republicans