Mike Tyson training at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino. Las Vegas, Nevada - 01.09.06

The once-convicted rapist and much-maligned sports star appeared on Thursday night's (19OCT06) THE BIG IDEA show in America and told host DONNIE DEUTSCH he's sick of saying sorry for his past actions.

Now keen to turn over a new leaf as a charity champion, the former boxing icon can't understand why some rabid critics won't let him get on with his life.

He said, "If I hit somebody, I'm sorry, if I cursed (at) someone, I'm sorry if I did anything, but I'm not gonna spend the rest of my life apologising to everyone.

"Whatever happened happened in the past, so what is it I should do?

"You should take a survey for all these people that say... 'He's a bum, he's this.' What should I do? Should I just kill myself, should I shovel dog manure? What do they think I should really do?

"Should I repent? Should I go to a monastery (and) become a monk?"

But one thing Tyson insisted he'll never apologise for is the 1992 hotel room rape crime that landed him behind bars for three years - because he still maintains he's innocent.

He added, "I didn't do that. I got railroaded. I'm never going to apologise for something that I never did."

Source: WENN