Tyson Fury: World heavyweight champion says he does not want to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year

Petition to have him pulled from list has gathered nearly 50,000 signatures after he expressed homophobic views

Tyson Fury speaks to the press this week (Getty Images)

Tyson Fury has said that he does not want to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, after the petition which urged him to be pulled from the list gathered nearly 50,000 signatures.

The recently-crowned WBO, IBF and WBA heavyweight champion's place on the shortlist had upset LGBT campaigners following comments he made comparing homosexuality to abortion and paedophilia during an interview with the Mail on Sunday last month.

"There are only three things that need to be accomplished before the devil comes home,” he was quoted as saying in that interview. "One of them is homosexuality being legal in countries, one of them is abortion and the other one’s paedophilia. Who would have thought in the 50s and 60s that those first two would be legalised?”

Fury responded on Twitter today by saying that he does not care if he wins the award, which is decided by a public vote, and he is happy not to be a role model.

The BBC have said that the contenders for its marquee sporting award are chosen purely on sporting merit.

The BBC said in a statement: “As Fury became heavyweight champion of the world over the weekend, the panel feel that he should be a contender for this year’s award.”