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| Joey Barton had a heated exchange with UKIP MEP Louise Bours |
Footballer Joey Barton has apologised after describing UKIP as the best of "four really ugly girls".
The QPR midfielder made the comment during a heated exchange with Louise Bours, one of UKIP's newly elected MEPs, on the BBC's Question Time.
Ms Bours said the comments showed the footballer had "brains in his feet".
Mr Barton, who had questioned the legitimacy of UKIP's victory, said he could have chosen a better analogy and blamed nerves.
He was one of five panellists on the programme, which was filmed at Heathrow Airport's new Terminal 2 building. He was introduced by host David Dimbleby as footballer's "philosopher king".
The panellists, who also included journalist Piers Morgan, Conservative minister David Willetts and Labour's Margaret Curran, were asked whether UKIP could reproduce its performance in the recent European polls at next year's general election.
'Bad bunch'
The footballer said last week's outcome - when UKIP won 27% of the overall vote - was far from a ringing endorsement of the party, since only 34% of the eligible electorate had voted.
Ms Bours accused opponents of misrepresenting UKIP's policies
Describing UKIP as the "best of a bad bunch", he added: "So if I am somewhere and there were four really ugly girls, I'm thinking, 'Well, she's not the worst', because that is all you are, that is all you are to us."
Ms Bours, a former actress in West End musicals who is now an MEP for the North West of England, accused Mr Barton of "ignorance" and having his "brains in his feet".
An audience member later confronted him about his remark. saying: "I was with you in some of the things you said (but) I think the analogy you made of four ugly girls, that's going to be on Twitter tonight and tomorrow, you'll be buried for it."
Mr Barton replied: "I do apologise - I couldn't think of a better one, this is the first time I have ever done it.
"As Louise rightly pointed out my brains are in my feet, which is an equally offensive statement. Maybe I was a little bit nervous, I apologise."
'Ill-conceived'
Afterwards Mr Barton took to Twitter, telling Piers Morgan: "I may have upset one or two women with an ill-conceived metaphor."
He later added: "Should have left it at 'best of a bad bunch' Ah well #imnewtothis @bbcquestiontime."
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