Greg Rutherford has sent the BBC into meltdown after threatening to withdraw from the Sports Personality of the Year award list unless Tyson Fury is removed over his homophobic comments.

The boxer's invite to the British Sports Awards also taken away by the Sports Journalists' Association due to previous 'threats' made towards members.

Fury was a controversial addition to the BBC list after securing the world heavyweight boxing title because of comments he made about the gay community, controversially comparing homosexuality to paedophilia in an explosive interview in the Mail on Sunday last month.

Since Fury's selection on a 12-person shortlist a debate has raged over his suitability for the award.But the BBC will now have to take a tough decision after apparently being informed by Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth long jump champion Rutherford that he had serious concerns about remaining part of the programme, due to be screened live from Belfast on December 20.

BBC bosses are concerned that Rutherford may not be alone among the 12, fearing others could follow and so force them to remove Fury from the list.

And on Wednesday, Sports Journalists' Association went a step further by removing him from their British Sports Awards in London on December 17.

In a statement on their website the officers of the SJA took the decision 'reluctantly' but it 'was made as a consequence of threats made by Fury against at least one sports journalist, an SJA member, who has written about the boxer’s repugnant comments on homosexuality and women.'

A spokesman for the SJA said: 'We are aware of threats made by Tyson Fury against one of our members, and therefore feel that it would be incompatible with the nature of our event, or the interests of our members, our other guests and our sponsors, for us to continue to extend a welcome to Tyson Fury to our awards next week.'

AGATHANEWS.COM