Today I disconnected the battery for an hour and reconnected but still nothing.
Tried my spare key also and it still wont fit in the barrel.
Both keys are intact with no bits missing.

Really need it back on the road so looks like its getting towed to the garage

Its definitely the right key, I only ever use the one key. I can still use the buttons to lock and unlock the car, the interior lights also come on when I unlock the car. The steering lock won't engage, I think it may have something to do with that.

If it helps its a 2005 E53 3.0D.

Yep definitely the right key.

I'm going to try and disconnect the battery for a while then reconnect it to see if that resets anything. Want to try as much easier/cheaper ways to fix it before having to get a new barrel fitted.

Hi all,
New to the forum and have encountered my first problem. For some reason I am unable to put my key into the ignition barrel. I have given the steering wheel a turn to see if it was a problem with the steering lock but its not locking. All electrics are working fine. Had a search on the forum ...