The tweet was sent shortly after the birth of the Royal baby.
BBC presenter Danny Baker has tweeted to say that he has been fired by the BBC, less than a day after he sent a tweet which was deemed racist by a number of people.
The tweet in question showed a man and a woman either side of a chimpanzee in a suit, holding its hands, accompanied by the caption “Royal baby leaves hospital”.
There was an immediate backlash from Twitter users, who deemed the photograph and caption as ‘racist’, presumably referring to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s mixed race child.
A BBC spokesperson said of the tweet: “This was a serious error of judgement” and that it “goes against the values we as a station aim to embody”.
“Danny’s a brilliant broadcaster but will no longer be presenting a weekly show with us,” the spokesperson added.
Just got fired from @bbc5live.
For the record – it was red sauce. Always.— Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 9, 2019
Baker was quick to insist that the tweet in question was not racist, and insisted that once he was informed of the connotations associated with it that he removed 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 (sic) possible connotations got in touch, down it came,” he said in a follow-up tweet on Wednesday evening.
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
Baker also claimed that he would have used the same photograph had it been in reference to the child of Boris Johnson or even one of his own children.
He tweeted: “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.”
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
Baker has since tweeted to criticise the BBC for the decision, calling it “a masterclass of pompous faux-gravity” and saying that they “literally threw me under the bus”.
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
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