Embarrassing Bodies star Dr Christian Jessen has said that Italy’s coronavirus lockdown is “an excuse” to “stop work” and “have a long siesta” in a series of controversial remarks.

Jessen, 43, told FUBAR Radio’s Access All Areas that he believed the virus to be “like a bad cold really” and claimed that people are “more worried than we need to be.”

“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?” he said.

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

Italy: Coronavirus - In pictures 35 show all Italy: Coronavirus - In pictures 1/35 Rome's Town Hall is lit up with the colours of the Italian flag to show solidarity with the country as it continues to battle coronavirus Reuters 2/35 A woman wearing a protective mask walks outside Castel Sant'Angelo, as Italy tightens measures to try and contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Rome Reuters 3/35 Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli prepares for the ''Music for hope'' event, a streamed live performance intended as a symbol of love, hope and healing amidst the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak via Reuters 4/35 Grand Canal is virtually deserted after a decree orders for the whole of Italy to be on lockdown in an unprecedented clampdown aimed at beating the coronavirus, in Venice, Ital Reuters 5/35 This combination of pictures created on March 19, 2020 using handout satellite images released by 2020 Planet Labs shows boats in the waters off of San Marco square (C) in Venice, Italy (top) and nearly empty waters off of San Marco square on March 18, 2020, during the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 outbreak Planet Labs via AFP 6/35 Faithful watch Pope Francis deliver the Angelus prayer on a giant screen, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, AP 7/35 A man wearing a protective mask passes by the Coliseum in Rome AFP via Getty Images 8/35 Martina Papponetti, 25, an ICU nurse at the Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital in Bergamo, Italy poses for a portrait at the end of her shift AP 9/35 A deserted San Marco square AFP via Getty Images 10/35 Newlyweds Diego Fernandes, 46 and Deni Salgado, 30, kiss through protective face masks at a wedding ceremony with only witnesses and no guests, as public gatherings are banned as part of Italy's lockdown measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Naples, Italy Reuters 11/35 Nuns wearing protective masks and gloves pray during Easter Sunday Mass at Duomo di Napoli Cathedral, as Italy remains on lockdown to try and contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Naples, Italy Reuters 12/35 The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping mall in Milan was also deserted AFP via Getty Images 13/35 Soldiers patrol past an empty restaurant in the Trastevere district of Rome AFP via Getty Images 14/35 A general view of PIazza Duomo Getty Images 15/35 A general view shows a deserted terminal at Milan-Malpensa airport in Ferno, northwest of Milan, in one of Italy's quarantine red zones AFP via Getty Images 16/35 Inmates stage a protest against new rules to cope with coronavirus emergency, including the suspension of relatives' visits, on the roof of the San Vittore prison in Milan, Italy, AP 17/35 The passenger information board in Terminal 5 departures at Heathrow Airport as British Airways has announced that it has cancelled all flights to and from Italy which were scheduled PA 18/35 A view of a market amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Vintimiglia, Italy, Reuters 19/35 Police officers and soldiers check passengers leaving from Milan main train station AP 20/35 A satellite image shows the Milan Duomo before the coronavirus in Milan, Italy via Reuters 21/35 A satellite image shows the Milan Duomo during the coronavirus in Milan, Italy via Reuters 22/35 A general view of PIazza Duomo Getty Images 23/35 Two girls pose in Piazza Duomo holding signs dedicated to March 8th women's day Getty Images 24/35 The Navigli district of Milan, one of the area of night life in Milan, is almost deserted after most bars were closed by the last decisions of the government trying to face the coronavirus emergency AP 25/35 Cars cross the Italian - Swiss border at the Ponte Chiasso customs post between Como and Chiasso, north of Milan AFP via Getty Images 26/35 The Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Juventus at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy. The match was played to a closed stadium as a measure against coronavirus contagion AP 27/35 Two foreign tourists talks to each other in a completely empty San Marco Square Getty Images 28/35 A man looks at an emptY shelf at a supermarket in Milan, Italy AP 29/35 A tourist pose for a picture in front of the empty Spanish Steps downtown Rome AFP via Getty Images 30/35 Life inside a red zone: Carabinieri military police check documents of a man wearing a protective mask in a car at the checkpoint in San Fiorano via Reuters 31/35 Life inside a red zone: A stop sign is seen on a blocked road in San Fiorano, on the 17th day of quarantine in one of the 11 small towns in northern Italy that has been on lockdown since February via Reuters 32/35 A deserted cafeteria restaurant is pictured at a gas station and service area of the E70 - A21 highway in Stradella, south of Pavia, south-western Lombardy, in one of Italy's quarantine red zones AFP via Getty Images 33/35 An empty parking lot is pictured at a gas station and service area of the E70 - A21 highway in Stradella, south of Pavia, south-western Lombardy, in one of Italy's quarantine red zones AFP via Getty Images 34/35 A general view of Via Corsico Getty Images 35/35 An empty road leading to Linate Airport in Milan AFP via Getty Images 1/35 Rome's Town Hall is lit up with the colours of the Italian flag to show solidarity with the country as it continues to battle coronavirus Reuters 2/35 A woman wearing a protective mask walks outside Castel Sant'Angelo, as Italy tightens measures to try and contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Rome Reuters 3/35 Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli prepares for the ''Music for hope'' event, a streamed live performance intended as a symbol of love, hope and healing amidst the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak via Reuters 4/35 Grand Canal is virtually deserted after a decree orders for the whole of Italy to be on lockdown in an unprecedented clampdown aimed at beating the coronavirus, in Venice, Ital Reuters 5/35 This combination of pictures created on March 19, 2020 using handout satellite images released by 2020 Planet Labs shows boats in the waters off of San Marco square (C) in Venice, Italy (top) and nearly empty waters off of San Marco square on March 18, 2020, during the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 outbreak Planet Labs via AFP 6/35 Faithful watch Pope Francis deliver the Angelus prayer on a giant screen, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, AP 7/35 A man wearing a protective mask passes by the Coliseum in Rome AFP via Getty Images 8/35 Martina Papponetti, 25, an ICU nurse at the Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital in Bergamo, Italy poses for a portrait at the end of her shift AP 9/35 A deserted San Marco square AFP via Getty Images 10/35 Newlyweds Diego Fernandes, 46 and Deni Salgado, 30, kiss through protective face masks at a wedding ceremony with only witnesses and no guests, as public gatherings are banned as part of Italy's lockdown measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Naples, Italy Reuters 11/35 Nuns wearing protective masks and gloves pray during Easter Sunday Mass at Duomo di Napoli Cathedral, as Italy remains on lockdown to try and contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Naples, Italy Reuters 12/35 The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping mall in Milan was also deserted AFP via Getty Images 13/35 Soldiers patrol past an empty restaurant in the Trastevere district of Rome AFP via Getty Images 14/35 A general view of PIazza Duomo Getty Images 15/35 A general view shows a deserted terminal at Milan-Malpensa airport in Ferno, northwest of Milan, in one of Italy's quarantine red zones AFP via Getty Images 16/35 Inmates stage a protest against new rules to cope with coronavirus emergency, including the suspension of relatives' visits, on the roof of the San Vittore prison in Milan, Italy, AP 17/35 The passenger information board in Terminal 5 departures at Heathrow Airport as British Airways has announced that it has cancelled all flights to and from Italy which were scheduled PA 18/35 A view of a market amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Vintimiglia, Italy, Reuters 19/35 Police officers and soldiers check passengers leaving from Milan main train station AP 20/35 A satellite image shows the Milan Duomo before the coronavirus in Milan, Italy via Reuters 21/35 A satellite image shows the Milan Duomo during the coronavirus in Milan, Italy via Reuters 22/35 A general view of PIazza Duomo Getty Images 23/35 Two girls pose in Piazza Duomo holding signs dedicated to March 8th women's day Getty Images 24/35 The Navigli district of Milan, one of the area of night life in Milan, is almost deserted after most bars were closed by the last decisions of the government trying to face the coronavirus emergency AP 25/35 Cars cross the Italian - Swiss border at the Ponte Chiasso customs post between Como and Chiasso, north of Milan AFP via Getty Images 26/35 The Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Juventus at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy. The match was played to a closed stadium as a measure against coronavirus contagion AP 27/35 Two foreign tourists talks to each other in a completely empty San Marco Square Getty Images 28/35 A man looks at an emptY shelf at a supermarket in Milan, Italy AP 29/35 A tourist pose for a picture in front of the empty Spanish Steps downtown Rome AFP via Getty Images 30/35 Life inside a red zone: Carabinieri military police check documents of a man wearing a protective mask in a car at the checkpoint in San Fiorano via Reuters 31/35 Life inside a red zone: A stop sign is seen on a blocked road in San Fiorano, on the 17th day of quarantine in one of the 11 small towns in northern Italy that has been on lockdown since February via Reuters 32/35 A deserted cafeteria restaurant is pictured at a gas station and service area of the E70 - A21 highway in Stradella, south of Pavia, south-western Lombardy, in one of Italy's quarantine red zones AFP via Getty Images 33/35 An empty parking lot is pictured at a gas station and service area of the E70 - A21 highway in Stradella, south of Pavia, south-western Lombardy, in one of Italy's quarantine red zones AFP via Getty Images 34/35 A general view of Via Corsico Getty Images 35/35 An empty road leading to Linate Airport in Milan AFP via Getty Images

Earlier this week, Italy extended its coronavirus lockdown measures to the entire country, panning public gatherings and restricting movement across all regions.

The country has become the epicentre of the outbreak in Europe, with the death toll rising to above 1,000 yesterday.

Jessen said that he agreed with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to keep schools open and claimed that the illness, which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, is “lived out more in the press than in reality.”

He added: “Now I might have to eat my words and I really hope I don’t!”

Standard Online has contacted Jessen's representatives for further comment.

On Thursday, the government moved to the “delay” stage of the fight against Covid-19 following a Cobra meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, who described coronavirus as the “worst public health crisis for a generation.”

Warning families that they will “lose loved ones before their time,” Johnson said that measures will cause “severe disruption across our country for many months.”

Anyone experiencing mild symptoms such as a mild persistent cough or temperature of 37.8 degrees C or more is advised to isolate themselves at home for seven days.