A British radio host announced he’s been fired following uproar over a controversial photo he tweeted comparing the royal baby to a chimpanzee.
“Just got fired from @bbc5live.
For the record – it was red sauce. Always.
— Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 9, 2019 “
On Wednesday, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry introduced their infant son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, to the media. Shortly afterwards, BBC Radio 5 Live host Danny Baker posted an old black-and-white photo of a couple accompanied by a well-dressed chimpanzee, captioning it “royal baby leaves hospital.” As London’s Metro newspaper reports, the tweet quickly sparked outcry and accusations of racism against the duchess, whose biracial background has been targeted by trolls.
Baker, a longtime radio and TV personality, deleted the photo and tweeted an apology that many felt fell short. The 61-year-old claimed that he hadn’t considered the racist connotations of the photo because his “mind [is] not diseased” — a statement that critics said put the blame on those offended and made light of mental health issues. Though he said he was “appalled” by the “silly unthinking gag,” he dismissed accusations of racism and insisted he would have “used same stupid pic for any other royal birth or [politician] Boris Johnson or even one of my own” because it’s “a funny pic.”
Despite denying any ill intentions, Baker announced Thursday morning that his “enormous mistake” cost him his job. He railed against the termination, tweeting that his BBC bosses “literally threw me under the bus.”
“The call to fire me from @bbc5live was a masterclass of pompous faux-gravity,” he wrote. “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.”
Credit: Yahoo
Photo Credit: Yahoo, Daily mail
