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Dr Christian Jessen has sparked a huge backlash with his controversial remarks about the coronavirus crisis.

The TV personality issued a bizarre statement on a radio show over how Italy is coping with COVID-19.

The pandemic continues to affect the entire world, with the number of deaths in the UK reaching double figures on Thursday, March 12.

But as Italy engages in a nationwide "lockdown", Dr Jessen told Stephen Leng on FUBAR Radio’s Access All Areas that Italians were using the virus as "an excuse" to "have a siesta".

(Image: Shared Content Unit)

The doctor said Italians will say "any old excuse" in order to "shut down everything".

The Daily Star reports Dr Christian said: "This might be a little bit racist to say this, but you’ll have to make apologies, but do you not think it’s a bit of an excuse?

"The Italians, any old excuse to, you know, shut down everything and stop work for a bit and have a long siesta."

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On Boris Johnson's approach to the spread of the disease, the TV star continued: "I do agree with him actually, I think it’s an epidemic lived out more in the press than in reality.

"I mean if you think about flu right, without getting too heavy, flu kills thousands every single year."

He added: "Now I know that’s tragic for those involved but it’s not exactly huge numbers is it compared to flu, which is thousands.

"It doesn’t affect mothers, it doesn’t affect pregnant women, it doesn’t affect children so far as we know. So why this massive panic?

"This is like a bad cold really, let’s be honest."