Fired TV host apologizes to Michelle Obama

A fired TV newsman has written an open letter apologizing to First Lady Michelle Obama after seemingly comparing her to a castmember from Planet Of The Apes.

Rodner Figueroa was sacked from his job at TV show El Gordo y la Flaca, which is broadcast on America's Spanish-language Univision network, after he made the remark about Obama during a segment which aired on Wednesday.

The host said of the First Lady, "Watch out, you know that Michelle Obama looks like she's from the cast of Planet of the Apes, the movie."

Figueroa has now posted an open letter apologizing to Obama in Spanish on Latinwe.com, insisting his comments were taken out of context.

He writes, "I offer my sincerest apologies... I want to make it clear that I'm not racist and my comment wasn't directed personally to you... The clip in full context is proof. I feel embarrassed, I ask for forgiveness, because there is no excuse for a professional like me to make those types of comments that can be interpreted as offensive and racist... I take full responsibility for the lack of judgment in my part... Again, I offer my humble forgiveness for the misinterpretation."