World heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury attended the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards on Sunday and apologised for his recent controversial comments.

Fury spoke at the ceremony in Belfast amid controversy over homophobic and sexist remarks, which led to more than 130,000 people signing a petition to have the British fighter removed from the shortlist for BBC's SPOTY awards.

The 27-year-old boxer, who upstaged Wladimir Klitschko in their bout last month, was quoted as telling the Daily Mail that homosexuality and abortion are two of three "evils" alongside paedophilia, while he sparked criticism over sexist remarks, including the suggestion that Olympic and world heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill "slaps up good".

But speaking to Gary Lineker in an on-stage interview as protestors gathered outside the SSE Arena, Fury insisted: "I've said a lot of stuff in the past, none of it with intentions to hurt anybody.

"It's all a bit tongue in cheek, it's all fun and games for me. I'm not really a serious type of person. Everything's happy go lucky with Tyson Fury.

"If I've said anything in the past that's hurt anybody, I apologise to anybody's who's been hurt out there. It's not my intention to do that."

Fury finished fourth in Sunday's vote, won by two-time grand slam champion Andy Murray.