Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has attracted criticism for claiming that God "didn't want people to live in Australia" so has set fire to it.
In a column for UK newspaper The Sun, Clarkson tried to take a light-hearted approach to the ongoing bushfire crisis, which has so far claimed at least 23 lives.
Clarkson said God created Australia "as a continent far, far away where he could house all his experiments that had gone wrong", before listing the saltwater crocodile, the redback spider and the nation's many snakes as examples.
Jeremy Clarkson has been slammed for his oped. Source: Getty
"He even used this remote outpost to house some of his more ridiculous ideas. Stuff he came up with when he was drunk. Like those birds that can't fly and that otter with a beak.
"And to make sure people didn't go there, he put a huge coral reef on the approaches ... For millions of years, this big, sandy cupboard under the stairs went unnoticed," he said, seemingly ignoring Australia's Indigenous history.
"But then along came Captain Cook and now the world knows all about Oz and its stupid, dangerous creatures.
"Plainly, God is embarrassed. Because he's decided to set fire to it."
God is embarrassed. Because he's decided to set fire to [Australia] Jeremy Clarkson
His final thought was "people must accept that Australia isn't meant for human habitation. So if you're reading this down there, please come home".
Many social media users in both Australia and the UK slammed Clarkson for his remarks.
Some said the timing was "disrespectful", as fires continue to burn and the death toll continues to rise.
Others suggested there were racist undertones to the piece.
Clarkson has a history of making controversial comments, recently calling teen climate activist Greta Thunberg an "idiot" who has killed the concept of a car show.
