Fitness queen Lorna Jane Clarkson has defended a controversial job advertisement her company posted online, saying she didn’t think her critics read it properly.

Clarkson’s company, gym clothing giant Lorna Jane, caused outrage this week for seeking a “receptionist/fit model” to carry out administrative duties as well as help the design team fit garments.

The successful candidate was required to be a size small and fall within stipulated bust, waist, hip and height parameters.

The ad provoked an angry reaction online, with some users accusing the fitness guru of undermining confidence in diverse, yet healthy, female bodies.

Clarkson publicly commented on the controversy for the first time on Wednesday at a Brisbane breakfast to promote her new book, Inspired.

Media were blocked from attending the promotional event, but attendees were quick to post footage online of Clarkson’s responses about the ad during a question and answer session.

Clarkson said the saga had been overwhelming and conceded she “just closed the doors” because she felt the issue had been blown out of proportion.

“I just really wanted to let it play itself out and what I really got from it was that I had such wonderful support from fans of the brand,” Clarkson told the breakfast.

Clarkson said the two separate roles were both previously part-time positions, but she felt it would be an opportunity to combine the two and offer someone a full-time role “so that Lorna Jane is more important to this person”.

“My regret is that the people talking about the ad didn’t read it, they just read the heading,” she said.

“I feel like they just read it and then someone made a comment and then they were reading the comments rather than actually taking the time to read the job description.”

Clarkson said her brand recognised that fit and healthy “came in all different shapes and sizes and we celebrate that”.

“I was trying to do something good and it just got misconstrued,” she said.

AAP