Amadeus sorry for 'sexist' remark

(ANSA) - Rome, January 16 - Showman Amadeus apologised Thursday for an allegedly sexist remark about motor-racing legend Valentino Rossi's girlfriend, one of the heavily female line up of his assistants at this year's Sanremo song fest.
    Presenting Francesca Sofia Novello earlier this week along with another 10 women at the fest he is hosting again, Amadeus praised her for "taking a step backwards" and not trying to share the limelight with her "great man".
    Feminists and others pounced on the remark, which they called "sexist" and pejorative of Novello's career as a model and now showgirl. "I'm sorry that my remark was ill interpreted, I was misunderstood," Amadeus told ANSA.
    Amadeus said of Novello at Tuesday's presentation "I chose her for her beauty, but also for her ability to be alongside a great man, taking a step back".
    Italian feminists and female MPs said this showed "superficiality and sexism".
    Amadeus told ANSA "that 'step back' referred to Francesca's choice of staying out of the limelight that is inevitably trained on a champion like Valentino".
    Rossi has won nine world titles, seven of them in the premier class.
    At the age of 40 he is still competing at the highest level, in MotoGP.
    Rossi is one of Italy's most popular sportsmen.