The popular dating app has been accused of making fun of celibate women in a new campaign, and Bumble has now issued an apology, admitting to making a "mistake".

The company said in a statement: "Our ads referencing celibacy were an attempt to lean into a community frustrated by modern dating and instead of bringing joy and humor, we unintentionally did the opposite."

The campaign - which only ran in the US - featured slogans such as "you know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer" and "thou shall not give up dating and become a nun".

Bumble - which is one of the world's most popular and best known dating apps - insisted that it has "passionately stood up for women and marginalised communities, and their right to fully exercise personal choice" for years.

The company added: "We didn't live up to these values with this campaign and we apologize for the harm it caused."

The controversial ad - which was designed to launch Bumble's revamped app - prompted widespread criticism on social media platforms.

The campaign was described as being "unbelievably insulting" and "tone-deaf" by some consumers.