'World's sexiest' polls have been a staple of Men's magazines for decades, titillating readers with pictures of scantily clad celebrities while reminding them of the year's most talked-about stars.

But GQ's US edition has become embroiled in a racism row after it included a series of new race-specific categories to its '100 Sexiest Women of the 21st Century' poll.

Critics have slammed the lads' glossy for suggesting some women 'are only attractive in the context of their own ethnicity' after awarding titles for 'Sexiest Chinese Chick', 'Sexiest Indian Chick' and, most tenuous of all, 'Sexiest Pregnant Sri Lankan'.