Gordon Brown has apologised in person to a grandmother after he was caught on microphone in an unguarded moment calling her "bigoted".
The Prime Minister visited the home of 66-year-old Gillian Duffy who had earlier questioned him on the campaign trail in Rochdale.
He entered the house at about 3.02pm and emerged more than 40 minutes later.
On the doorstep, he told reporters he was a "penitent sinner" and had misunderstood the point Mrs Duffy had been making when they spoke.
"I am mortified by what has happened. I have given her my sincere apologies," he said.
"I misunderstood what she said. She has accepted that there was a misunderstanding and she has accepted my apology."
Earlier today, he spent nearly five minutes answering Mrs Duffy's queries about policy and told her: "It's been very good to meet you."
He smiled at the woman and then got into a waiting car.
However, a microphone picked up his words to an aide as he drove away.
Mr Brown was caught saying: "That was a disaster.
His aide asked: "What did she say?"
Mr Brown replied: "Well, just...You should never have put me with that woman.
"Whose idea was that?"
The aide responded: "I don't know, I didn't see her. It was Sue I think..."
Mr Brown went on: "It's just ridiculous."
The aide said: "They're pictures, I'm not sure they'll go with that one."
"They'll go with it," Mr Brown said.
"What did she say," his aide asked.
Mr Brown replied: "Oh, everything, she's just a sort of bigoted woman who said she used to vote Labour."
Brown Apologies For 'Bigoted' Comment
The Prime Minister had been chatting to the woman about her pension credit, crime and education before the gaffe.
She also questioned the Prime Minister about immigrants from eastern Europe and then congratulated him on his education policies in Rochdale as he walked away.
Later, Sky's Niall Paterson played the mother of one a recording of the Prime Minister's comments, including his description of her as "bigoted".
She said she was "very disappointed" and added that the PM owed her an apology.
She told Sky News: "It was very upsetting. I am very upset.
"He's an educated person, why is he coming up with words like that?"
Pensioner Upset After PM's Gaffe
Mr Brown has called Mrs Duffy and apologised for his comment. He returned to Rochdale to visit her at her house.
"I have apologised to Mrs Duffy," he said. "I hope she accepts my apology."
Mr Brown was played a recording of his words by BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine.
As the Prime Minister listened, he put his head in his hands.
"They have chosen to play my private conversation with the person who was in the car with me," he said.
"I know these things can happen. I apologise profusely to the lady concerned.
"I don't think she is that, I think it was just the view she expressed that I was worried about that I couldn't respond to."
Speaking on Sky News, the shadow chancellor George Osborne said: "We have found out the Prime Minister's internal thoughts and I think they speak for themselves.
"The Prime Minister has a lot of explaining to do."
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg told Sky News it was important to treat people with respect on the trail.
"I think everyone in every walk of life will mutter things underneath their breath which they would not want everyone to know about, but I think in an election campaign in particular, I get this every day, people will say 'I disagree with this and that.'
"Some people get pretty tough," he continued.
"You have got to give as good as you get but you have also got to treat the questions you receive with the respect they deserve."
Labour May Struggle To Recover From Gordon Brown's 'Bigoted Woman'|badapple>link | Politics | Sky News
The Prime Minister visited the home of 66-year-old Gillian Duffy who had earlier questioned him on the campaign trail in Rochdale.
He entered the house at about 3.02pm and emerged more than 40 minutes later.
On the doorstep, he told reporters he was a "penitent sinner" and had misunderstood the point Mrs Duffy had been making when they spoke.
"I am mortified by what has happened. I have given her my sincere apologies," he said.
"I misunderstood what she said. She has accepted that there was a misunderstanding and she has accepted my apology."
Earlier today, he spent nearly five minutes answering Mrs Duffy's queries about policy and told her: "It's been very good to meet you."
He smiled at the woman and then got into a waiting car.
However, a microphone picked up his words to an aide as he drove away.
Mr Brown was caught saying: "That was a disaster.
His aide asked: "What did she say?"
Mr Brown replied: "Well, just...You should never have put me with that woman.
"Whose idea was that?"
The aide responded: "I don't know, I didn't see her. It was Sue I think..."
Mr Brown went on: "It's just ridiculous."
The aide said: "They're pictures, I'm not sure they'll go with that one."
"They'll go with it," Mr Brown said.
"What did she say," his aide asked.
Mr Brown replied: "Oh, everything, she's just a sort of bigoted woman who said she used to vote Labour."
Brown Apologies For 'Bigoted' Comment
The Prime Minister had been chatting to the woman about her pension credit, crime and education before the gaffe.
She also questioned the Prime Minister about immigrants from eastern Europe and then congratulated him on his education policies in Rochdale as he walked away.
Later, Sky's Niall Paterson played the mother of one a recording of the Prime Minister's comments, including his description of her as "bigoted".
She said she was "very disappointed" and added that the PM owed her an apology.
She told Sky News: "It was very upsetting. I am very upset.
"He's an educated person, why is he coming up with words like that?"
Pensioner Upset After PM's Gaffe
Mr Brown has called Mrs Duffy and apologised for his comment. He returned to Rochdale to visit her at her house.
"I have apologised to Mrs Duffy," he said. "I hope she accepts my apology."
Mr Brown was played a recording of his words by BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine.
As the Prime Minister listened, he put his head in his hands.
"They have chosen to play my private conversation with the person who was in the car with me," he said.
"I know these things can happen. I apologise profusely to the lady concerned.
"I don't think she is that, I think it was just the view she expressed that I was worried about that I couldn't respond to."
Speaking on Sky News, the shadow chancellor George Osborne said: "We have found out the Prime Minister's internal thoughts and I think they speak for themselves.
"The Prime Minister has a lot of explaining to do."
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg told Sky News it was important to treat people with respect on the trail.
"I think everyone in every walk of life will mutter things underneath their breath which they would not want everyone to know about, but I think in an election campaign in particular, I get this every day, people will say 'I disagree with this and that.'
"Some people get pretty tough," he continued.
"You have got to give as good as you get but you have also got to treat the questions you receive with the respect they deserve."
Labour May Struggle To Recover From Gordon Brown's 'Bigoted Woman'|badapple>link | Politics | Sky News