Red Symons has apologised for his ‘racist’ comments to Beverley Wang, saying, "I came across as racist and I was wrong in the way I conducted the interview. I offer my sincere apologies. We need to talk about these issues, but be careful how we consider them."

Symons faced a backlash for asking Bevery Wang whether she was “yellow” and “what’s the deal with Asians.”

In his initial interview with Wang, Symons stated he was unhappy about her new podcast, It’s not a race as he had an idea for something similar – a radio segment that tackled "contemporary race issues in Australia". 

"Except my segment was called 'What's the deal with Asians?'," he said.

"Well, let's tackle that," Wang replied. "What is the deal with Asians, Red?"

"No, I ask the questions," the host replied.

"It's just a useful general question about the nature of our culture, and how one should, can, might interact with people who might have a different cultural background.

"First question is, are they all the same?" he asked.

While it’s largely assumed Symons was trying to be humourous, many believe the veteran radio host simply missed the mark.

Calling for Symons to be disciplined, federal Labor MP Linda Burney told ABC’s AM program, "If he was trying to be humorous, then it hasn't worked. It's quite racist."

What do you think? Was the backlash an over-exageration or should Symons be disciplined? Does Australia still have a problem with racism?