It hasn’t even been a week since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Royal Baby has entered the world, and he’s already the subject of apparent racism from a prominent British figure.
British radio host Danny Baker was unceremoniously fired from his job at the BBC after he tweeted an image Wednesday showing a couple holding hands with a chimpanzee dressed in clothes with the caption: “Royal Baby leaves hospital.”
The tweet was sent just hours after the royal couple formally introduced their newborn son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were photographed earlier today with their newborn son at Windsor Castle. The baby has been named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. pic.twitter.com/WtDH6oD3kn
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 8, 2019
Baker was accused of mocking the duchess’s racial heritage (her mother is Black, her father is White), but he said it was just a “stupid gag.”
Once again. Sincere apologies for the stupid unthinking gag pic earlier. Was supposed to be joke about Royals vs circus animals in posh clothes but interpreted as about monkeys & race, so rightly deleted. Royal watching not my forte.
Also, guessing it was my turn in the barrel. pic.twitter.com/86cQGbAhDc— Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 8, 2019
The tweet was quickly deleted, but, thanks to screenshots, had been shared all over social media, which, along with extreme backlash, prompted the firing.
Just got fired from @bbc5live.
For the record – it was red sauce. Always.— Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 9, 2019
The BBC said in a statement that Baker’s tweet “goes against the values we as a station aim to embody” and added that “Danny’s a brilliant broadcaster but will no longer be presenting a weekly show with us.”
Following his “apology” tweet, Baker accused the BBC of throwing him under the bus, and said the racial connotations hadn’t occurred to him because his “mind [is] not diseased.”
“[The BBC’s statement] took a tone that said I actually meant that ridiculous tweet and the BBC must uphold blah blah blah,” he said. “Literally threw me under the bus. Could hear the suits’ knees knocking.”
The call to fire me from @bbc5live was a masterclass of pompous faux-gravity. Took a tone that said I actually meant that ridiculous tweet and the BBC must uphold blah blah blah. Literally threw me under the bus. Could hear the suits knees knocking. #Fuckem
— Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 9, 2019
Baker also tweeted: “Sorry my gag pic of the little fella in the posh outfit has whipped some up. Never occurred to me because, well, mind not diseased. Soon as those good enough to point out its possible connotations got in touch, down it came. And that’s it.”
Sorry my gag pic of the little fella in the posh outfit has whipped some up. Never occurred to me because, well, mind not diseased. Soon as those good enough to point out it's possible connotations got in touch, down it came. And that's it. Now stand by for sweary football tweets
— Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 8, 2019
In a later tweet, he added: “Would have used same stupid pic for any other Royal birth or Boris Johnson kid or even one of my own. It’s a funny image. (Though not of course in that context.) Enormous mistake, for sure. Grotesque… Anyway, here’s to ya Archie, Sorry mate.”
Now Sky at the door.
Would have used same stupid pic for any other Royal birth or Boris Johnson kid or even one of my own. It's a funny image. (Though not of course in that context.) Enormous mistake, for sure. Grotesque.
Anyway, here's to ya Archie, Sorry mate.#Occam #Razor— Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 9, 2019
Speaking to reports outside his home, Baker said of the tweet: “Ill-advised, ill-thought-out and stupid, but racist? No, I’m aware of how delicate that imagery is.”
