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BBC radio presenter fired for ‘racist’ tweet about Meghan Markle and royal baby

Source: News Corp Australia Network:
May 9, 2019 at 16:47
Broadcaster Danny Baker has been fired by the BBC after a tweet about the royal baby that was slammed as racist. Picture: Matt Crossick/PA WireSource:Supplied
Broadcaster Danny Baker has been fired by the BBC after a tweet about the royal baby that was slammed as racist. Picture: Matt Crossick/PA WireSource:Supplied
BBC host Danny Baker reportedly launched into a foul-mouthed tirade as he was sacked for posting an image of Meghan, Harry and their baby that portrayed Archie as a monkey.

BBC radio star Danny Baker reportedly launched into a furious foul-mouthed tirade aimed at his boss after being fired over a “racist” royal baby tweet, which showed a picture of a monkey.

The Radio 5 Live host was sacked after he was slammed on Wednesday for the post, which came just hours after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry showed off Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

The Sun reports that Baker, 61, told Radio 5 Live controller Jonathan Wall "f*** you and f*** off" as he was told he no longer had a job.

The tweet showed a picture of a couple clinging on to a monkey wearing a suit with the caption: “Royal baby leaves hospital”.
 

       

He deleted the post and apologised, claiming it was a joke with no “connotations” and today spoke out again to say it was a “gag” about the baby being “posh”.

Blaming an exaggerated Twitter storm, unapologetic Baker told The Sun: “You see these sorts of things happening to other people and you kill yourself laughing.

“It’s a Twitter storm. The point is they (the BBC) have given credence to the vampires by claiming I meant it. It’s rotten.”

Describing the moment he was told he’d lost his Saturday morning radio show, he said: “The BBC said they found it abhorrent. I told them ‘f*** you, and f*** off’.

“That’s exactly what I said to them. It wasn’t a very long call.”

Earlier, he tweeted about reporters showing up on his doorstep to ask him about the controversy. “Here we go,” he wrote. “Opened door, grinning Mail hack. ’Do you think black people look like monkeys?’ Any other time you’d knock someone right on their a**e for saying that.

“No mate. Gag pic. Posh baby chimp. Alerted to circs. Appalled. Deleted. Apologised.”

He received backlash from users branding the post “racist” due to Meghan’s heritage.

The Duchess of Sussex’s estranged dad Thomas Markle is white and mother Doria Ragland is black.
 

BBC Radio 5 Live host Danny Baker was fired after tweeting an image with a chimpanzee representing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son. Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire
BBC Radio 5 Live host Danny Baker was fired after tweeting an image with a chimpanzee representing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son. Picture: Yui Mok/PA WireSource:Supplied

 

 
Meghan Markle — pictured with the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Harry, son Archie Harrison and mother Doria Ragland — is mixed race. Picture: Chris Allerton/SussexRoyal via Getty Images
Meghan Markle — pictured with the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Harry, son Archie Harrison and mother Doria Ragland — is mixed race. Picture: Chris Allerton/SussexRoyal via Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

 

BBC PRESENTER APOLOGISES

In an apology, Baker said: “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.”


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