Mensa apologizes for 'carrot' crack

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LONDON, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- The British wing of the high-IQ organization Mensa apologized after a member appearing on TV described a hypothetical person with an IQ of 60 as a "carrot."

British Mensa and the BBC apologized for any offense caused by member Peter Baimbridge's comment during an interview on "BBC Breakfast" about the effectiveness of IQ tests in judging intelligence, the Belfast (Northern Ireland) Telegraph reported Friday.

"So most IQ tests will have Mr. and Mrs. Average scoring 100 and the higher you get, the brighter you are. And if your IQ is somewhere around 60 then you are probably a carrot," Baimbridge said.

The comment sparked a flurry of viewer complaints, some read on-air by hosts Louise Minchin and Charlie Stayt before they apologized at the end of the program and read an apology from Baimbridge.

Mensa also released a statement apologizing for the comment.

The statement said Baimbridge's comment was "totally inappropriate and does not represent the society's official position or view."

A BBC spokeswoman apologized on behalf of the broadcaster.

"Clearly we do not condone the comments that were made in any way and sincerely apologize for the offense caused," she said.