Tyson Fury loves his fellow humans. He doesn't hate anybody."
The BBC said Fury's inclusion on the shortlist did not mean SPOTY endorsed his personal views.
Fury, 27, won the WBA, IBF and WBO titles on 28 November from Klitschko, who had reigned as world champion for 11 years.
In the aftermath of his win in Dusseldorf, Fury had said: "I'm not sexist. I believe a woman's best place is in the kitchen and on her back. That's my personal belief. Making me a good cup of tea, that's what I believe."
The new world champion has also previously said it would only take the legalisation of paedophilia in addition to the decriminalisation of homosexuality and abortion to see "the devil come home".
In conversation with Jeremy Vine, he sought to clarify his comments by saying: "Let's not try and make me out to be some evil person and I hate gays because I don't hate anybody. I can actually say I don't hate anybody.