Watch the interview with Danny Baker after he got fired from posting the picture.
Video credit: ODN
TV and radio hosts have a reputation for dishing out witty and cheeky comments. It’s all part of the game since they need to make enough of an impact on their audience and get those ratings up. Sometimes, what they say is simply brilliant but other times they tend to shoot themselves in the proverbial foot.
That’s what BBC radio host Danny Baker found out after a social media post he made about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new baby, Archie, totally backfired on him after he portrayed the baby as a monkey.
The blooper happened when Baker made a Twitter post that showed a coupled exiting a building while holding hands with a monkey in a suit.
He captioned it with: “Royal baby leaves hospital.”
The backlash was immediate and he later deleted the post after being called a racist.
Baker sort of apologized by saying: “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.”
The BBC Radio 5 host and football blooper video veteran then added: “Connection never occurred to me till people were good enough to enlighten.
“Little fella in a posh suit. Anyway, deleted now.”
But despite Baker’s apology, Twitter users were not placated and have even called on the BBC to fire him. Whatever his intentions were, Baker’s tweet was definitely in bad taste considering the baby had just been born hours earlier.
The criticism has been pretty intense with one Twitter user saying: “So not only does Danny Baker post an image comparing a baby w African heritage to an ape, but he has the audacity to say problem is that those of us who point out how racist it has ‘diseased minds.'”
“Classic example of blaming those of us who call out racism for its existence.”
Another replied: “How the f*** is anyone seriously arguing that Danny Baker tweet was ‘not racist’?
“There’s no other credible explanation for something containing such an obvious racist trope.
“If you’re performing mental gymnastics to excuse it, maybe ask yourself why.”
Along with the condemnation came calls for the BBC to sack Baker.
One user commented: “RACIST RACIST RACIST Danny Baker @prodnose should be given today to resign and clear his desk. If he is still there at 16.59 @bbc MUST FIRE HIM! I’m disgusted by the hate and racism inherent in his Tweet Unforgivable. He’s not fit to be a broadcaster employed from the public purse.”
Recommended Video!
“Woman Slaps Her One-Month-Old Daughter Repeatedly And Posts The Horrific Video Online”