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The BBC made its comments to clarify its position in response to newspaper coverage of the row that has developed over its decision to suspend Kilroy-Silk's show after he wrote a column in the Sunday Express attacking Arab states.

Kilroy-Silk has said the issue is one of freedom of speech and has won support from various newspapers and MPs including Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe and Gerald Kaufman, the Labour MP and chairman of the culture select committee.

In its statement the BBC said: "In view of some newspaper coverage we would like to make it clear that the BBC defends and supports freedom of speech. This has never been about freedom of speech. It is about how the job of a BBC presenter carries with it responsibilities about what is written and said publicly and how this may impact on their on-air role.

"The BBC needs to be seen to be impartial when dealing with topical and controversial issues."

The BBC said its key focus was, given the views Kilroy-Silk has stated, whether Robert Kilroy-Silk can be seen as a suitable presenter of a daily discussion programme dealing with a range of current and controversial issues with an audience from a wide cross-section of the public.

Last night it was looking increasingly unlikely that his show 'Kilroy' would return after he gave an interview to Sir Trevor MacDonald on rival ITV.

BBC sources were reported to be extremely unhappy with the way that Kilroy-Silk had handled the affair.

Kilroy-Silk took the move as part of an effort to step up his fight to get the BBC to restore his talk show, which was suspended on Friday, a week after his anti-Arab article was published in the Sunday Express.

Kilroy-Silk said the BBC was "wobbling and being wimpish" for pulling his show after a police investigation was launched into remarks he made about Arabs.

As a result of pulling 'Kilroy' and extending 'BBC Breakfast' by half an hour, the corporation has already seen ratings rise. Yesterday, the extended news bulletin pulled in an average audience of 1.2m against 1.05m for the first half hour of 'Kilroy' last Monday.

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