BBC's Clarkson sorry for Brown jibe

By Stefano Ambrogi

LONDON (Reuters) - BBC "Top Gear" presenter Jeremy Clarkson issued an apology on Friday after he called Prime Minister Gordon Brown a "one-eyed Scottish idiot" at a live press conference in Australia.

The highly paid and outspoken presenter drew criticism from a leading charity and Scottish MPs after making the comments in Sydney where he is promoting "Top Gear Live," a stage version of the international hit TV show.

"In the heat of the moment I made a remark about the Prime Minister's personal appearance for which, upon reflection, I apologise," he said in a statement.

The furore comes just days after the corporation axed the daughter of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher from a show after she referred off-air to a tennis player as a "golliwog."

Clarkson was comparing Brown to Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's handling of the deepening financial crisis when he made the comments.

"He genuinely looked terrified. The poor man, he's actually seen the books," Clarkson said about Rudd in clips of the press conference that were widely broadcast in British media.

"(In the UK) we've got this one-eyed Scottish idiot. He keeps telling us everything's fine and he's saved the world and we know he's lying, but he's smooth at telling us."

Brown lost his sight in one eye after an accident playing rubgy as a teenager.