BBC presenter Danny Baker has hit out at those whose complaints prompted the national broadcaster to sack him from BBC 5 Live over a tweet about the child of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle which was deemed racist.
The tweet in particular 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 other users of the social media platform who deemed the photograph and caption as 'racist' and presumably referring to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's mixed race child Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.
Baker insisted that the "stupid pic" would have been used by him had it been any other Royal birth, or even Boris Johnson's child, saying:
"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," he said.
https://twitter.com/prodnose/status/1126417512739024898?s=20
After apologising, Baker angrily hit out at what he described as a "masterclass of pompous faux-gravity" that led to his dismissal.
"The call to fire me from BBC 5 Live 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," he wrote.
https://twitter.com/prodnose/status/1126425849631318018?s=20
Baker returned to BBC 5 Live in 2008 having previously been a presenter on the service in the 1990s.
He shared a tragic final message just nine days ago Chuck Norris has passed away at the age of 86, his family confirmed in a statement earlier today. The actor had shared a final message with fans on social media just one week ago. The legendary actor and martial artist had been active on Instagram […]
Chuck Norris has died at the age of 86. The news was shared on his Instagram page. The post read: “It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning. While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by […]
“Am I saying that right?” Jay-Z has announced he’s officially changed his name, and it actually has a pretty personal meaning behind it. The 56-year-old American rapper, known for hits like Empire State of Mind, Run This Town, and Young Forever, is one of the most influential figures in rap and hip-hop, a status he […]