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Zoo says sorry for hottest asylum seeker contest

Men’s magazine Zoo Weekly has apologised after a backlash against a competition to find Australia’s ‘hottest asylum seeker’.

The feature prompted Zoo Weekly editor Tim Keen to publicly apologise after an online petition by Change.org raised 5,000 signatures.

“Zoo is happy to print an apology to those readers who were offended by our take on a very serious topic; and to acknowledge that for asylum seekers and refugees, and their families and supporters, it’s a subject too important for jokes,” Keen said.

The apology will run on the home page of Zooweekly.com.au and in print next week, an ACP spokesperson told Mumbrella.

The petition was started by Newcastle resident Matt Darvas, who said that the competition ‘dehumanised’ asylum seekers. “Zoo is part of Australia’s largest magazine publishing company, ACP Magazines, and I’d like a clear commitment from them that they won’t tolerate this kind of behaviour in the future,” he told Change.org.

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