Radio host fired after tweeting photo comparing royal baby Archie to chimpanzee

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)” he wrote.

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.”

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.

“So Danny Baker some old 90’s relic thinks it’s a joke to depict the #RoyalBaby as a monkey. Racists now seem to think it’s acceptable to post things like this. How did that happen? Something has seriously gone wrong with our society,” — Nick (@Nick_BLM) posted.

“Wow that didn’t take long. Royal Baby is just two days old and he’s already being trolled by @5liveSport’s Danny Baker aka @prodnose who has compared him to a chimpazee.

..and Baker claims he’s not racist 🤷🏾‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/hDcD2mLlo3
— Eva Akase Simpson (@EvaMSimpson) May 8, 2019

This is a post by Danny Baker. The royal baby is less than three days old. Danny Baker works for the BBC. In any other field this would be gross misconduct. I await the “not a racist bone in my body” statement from Danny, or a P45 from the BBC. Only 3 days old. pic.twitter.com/jF9iUl4duO
— (Almost) Always Positive 💙+ (@NubiBlue) May 9, 2019

I’m really confused about the message that #DannyBaker (@prodnose) was trying to convey? You had 3 other chances to post that photo when George, Charlotte and Louis were born but chose to post it now? You are not silly or ill informed! You my dear are a #racist! Pure and simple!