Police are investigating Danny Baker's tweet about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby, which resulted in the radio presenter being sacked by the BBC. The broadcaster was accused of racism when he posted a black and white photo of a man and woman holding hands with a suited chimpanzee after Meghan gave birth. In the caption, Baker, 61, wrote: "Royal baby leaves hospital." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 'I'm not a slavering, secret racist' He later deleted the tweet, admitting it was "ridiculous, stupid and idiotic", but insisted he was not racist. A Metropolitan Police spokesman told Sky News: "An allegation has been received by the Metropolitan Police Service on Thursday, 9 May in relation to a tweet published on the 8 May. Advertisement "As is routine, the allegation will be reviewed and assessed by specialist officers." A day after being fired from his role on BBC Radio Five Live, Baker posted a series of messages on Twitter on Friday apologising for the "outrage" he had caused. He described the controversy as "one of the worst days of my life" and said he made a "genuine, naive and catastrophic mistake". "The picture in context as presented was obviously shamefully racist. It was never intended so - seriously who on earth would 'go there'? ", Baker wrote. Baker revealed he had been sacked on Thursday and criticised the BBC's handling of the situation. He said the phone call telling him he was fired was a "masterclass of pompous faux-gravity" and the corporation "literally threw me under the bus". Image: Baker spoke to reporters outside his home on Thursday In a statement announcing Baker had been fired, a BBC spokesman said: "This was a serious error of judgement and goes against the values we as a station aim to embody. "Danny's a brilliant broadcaster but will no longer be presenting a weekly show with us." Broadcaster Afua Hirsch criticised Baker's initial response to the controversy after he claimed he had not seen the problem with the tweet because his mind was "not diseased". She said: "So not only does Danny Baker post an image comparing a baby [with] African heritage to an ape, but he has the audacity to say the problem is that those of us who point out how racist it is have 'diseased minds'. "Classic example of blaming those of us who call out racism for its existence." However comedian Dara O'Briain said he was "amazed" Baker had been fired, saying the presenter had "immediately apologised and deleted the tweet". "I mean, literally, in the event of mistakenly causing offence, what else can you do? Genuinely amazed by that," O'Briain wrote on Twitter. Prince Harry and Meghan, whose mother is African American, revealed on Wednesday that they have named their new arrival Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.<doc-sep>See the recovery efforts in Gaza as ceasefire appears to hold 'Is everything I'm trying to do pointless? ': Syrians helpless in face of 'sham' election Brother of journalist detained in Myanmar says family is hopeful Report: US companies may have benefited from forced labor of Uyghurs Residents stand near stalls along a road amidst debris while strong winds batter Balasore district in Odisha state on May 26, 2021 as Cyclone Yaas barrels towards India's eastern coast in the Bay of Bengal. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP) (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images) France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame speak as they walk in the grounds of The Presidential Palace in Kigali on May 27, 2021, after their press conference and prior to their official luncheon. - French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Rwanda on May 27, 2021, for a highly symbolic visit aimed at moving on from three decades of diplomatic tensions over France's role in the 1994 genocide in the country. Macron is the first French leader since 2010 to visit the East African nation, which has long accused France of complicity in the killing of some 800,000 mostly Tutsi Rwandans. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images) Relative of detained Iranian-Americans fears they will not survive RABAT, MOROCCO - FEBRUARY 25: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex walk through the walled public Andalusian Gardens which has exotic plants, flowers and fruit trees during a visit on February 25, 2019 in Rabat, Morocco. (Photo by Facundo Arrizabalaga - Pool/Getty Images) (CNN Business) — BBC radio broadcaster Danny Baker has been fired after posting a racist tweet about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new baby. On Wednesday, the BBC Radio 5 Live presenter tweeted a black and white photo of a man and woman holding hands with a chimpanzee in a suit and a top hat, with the caption, “Royal baby leaves hospital.” Amid widespread accusations of racism, Baker deleted the tweet and said he was sorry the “gag” had “whipped some up.” He claimed the connotations had not occurred to him because his “mind (is) not diseased.” In a second message, Baker said that the tweet was “supposed to be a joke about Royals vs circus animals in posh clothes but interpreted as about monkeys & race, so rightly deleted. Royal watching not my forte.” On Thursday, the broadcaster said he made an “enormous mistake.” A BBC spokesperson said: “This was a serious error of judgment and goes against the values we as a station aim to embody. Danny’s a brilliant broadcaster but will no longer be presenting a weekly show with us.” Baker responded defiantly to the decision, saying on Twitter that the calls for his dismissal were a “masterclass in pompous faux-gravity” and that the BBC “literally threw me under the bus.” Prince Harry and Meghan’s newborn son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, was born early on Monday morning. On Wednesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex presented the baby, their first, to the world in front of selected media. In a significant milestone for British society, the newborn has made history by becoming the first biracial child in the royal family. Since the announcement of her pregnancy, Meghan has been a target of racist abuse across social media. In March, Kensington Palace staff announced they would devote more resources to deleting comments targeting the Duchess of Sussex, and to blocking abusive Twitter and Instagram accounts. The royal household also issued a set of guidelines for people engaging with its social media channels.<doc-sep>Police have launched an investigation after former BBC Radio Five Live presenter Danny Baker posted a tweet about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby. The tweet, which was a picture of a couple leaving hospital with a chimpanzee, was posted by the 61-year-old after Meghan Markle gave birth on Wednesday. It resulted in the BBC sacking the presenter, and now the Met Police has revealed that an allegation was made against Baker on Thursday, a day after the tweet was posted. Baker claimed he did not know it was Meghan Markle who was expecting her first child. Danny Baker claimed he did not know it was Meghan Markle who was expecting to given birth to her first child after posting that 'racist' monkey photo on Twitter In a statement police said: 'An allegation has been received by the Metropolitan Police Service on Thursday May 9 in relation to a tweet published on May 8. 'As is routine, the allegation will be reviewed and assessed by specialist officers,' The picture, posted by Baker, sparked outrage, with many branding it as racist because of Meghan's heritage. He quickly deleted it and described it as a 'stupid unthinking gag'. Baker told MailOnline he did not know it was the Duchess of Sussex (pictured with Prince Harry and son Archie) who had given birth. He added: 'I didn't know which of our royal princesses had given birth. Otherwise you'd got to be thinking I'd been secretly waiting to make this grotesque joke' Baker, who denied he is a racist, told MailOnline earlier this week that he did not know it was the Duchess of Sussex who had given birth. 'I didn't know which of our royal princesses had given birth. Otherwise you'd got to be thinking I'd been secretly waiting to make this grotesque joke. There's no truth to it. 'I've been doing a thing on the radio for years of famous people dressed as monkeys with fairground music. Pictured: Danny Baker's 'racist' tweet. Danny has since returned to Twitter to share an apology with his followers 'My go-to photo when any posh people have a baby is this absurd chimpanzee in a top hat leaving the hospital. 'Had it not been Meghan - perfectly good joke. I was trying to make a point about class and it's just preposterous.' Speaking about the moment he was sacked, he told MailOnline: 'Basically they said to me 'you meant that tweet' I said to them 'you think so? 'And I said, 'well f*** you and f*** off'. It is the third time Baker has been sacked by the BBC, after he was dismissed by Five Live in 1997 in a row over a referee and in in 2012, when his BBC London show was axed. Danny has since returned to Twitter to share an apology with his followers, writing: 'Following one of the worst days of my life I just want to formally apologise for the outrage I caused and explain how I got myself into this mess.' 'I chose the wrong photo to illustrate a joke. Disastrously so.' He continued: 'Anyway I am now paying the price for this crass & regrettable blunder and rightly so. 'Probably even this final word from me will extend the mania. ('Dog whistle' anyone?) I would like to thank friends on here for their kinder words and once again - I am so, so sorry.'<doc-sep>Police have launched an investigation into Danny Baker’s tweet about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby, which resulted in the DJ losing his job. Baker was sacked from BBC Radio 5 Live after sharing a photograph featuring a chimpanzee alongside the caption: “Royal baby leaves hospital”. The tweet was posted on Wednesday, the same day Harry and Meghan appeared for the first time in public with their newborn son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Scotland Yard said the force had received an allegation in relation to a tweet posted on 8 May. “An allegation has been received by the Metropolitan Police Service on Thursday May 9 in relation to a tweet published on May 8,” the Met said. Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Show all 21 1 /21 Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their baby son, who was born on Monday morning, during a photocall in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle in Berkshire Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their baby son, who was born on Monday morning, during a photocall in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle in Berkshire Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/Reuters Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/PA Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP Royal baby photos: First pictures of Meghan and Harry's child Dominic Lipinski/AP “As is routine, the allegation will be reviewed and assessed by specialist officers.” On Friday, Baker said he wanted to “formally apologise for the outrage I caused” following “one of the worst days of my life”. He said: “I chose the wrong photo to illustrate a joke. Disastrously so. “In attempting to lampoon privilege and the news cycle I went to a file of goofy pictures and saw the chimp dressed as a Lord and thought, ‘That’s the one!’ “Had I kept searching I might have chosen General Tom Thumb or even a baby in a crown. But I didn’t. God knows I wish had. “Minutes later I was alerted by followers that this royal baby was of course mixed race and waves of panic and revulsion washed over me.” Following a backlash and accusations of racism, he deleted the post and apologised. On Thursday, Baker, 61, insisted he was no “downbeat racist wretch” after he was sacked for what his bosses described as a “serious error of judgment”. He went on to attack BBC chiefs for their handling of the situation and said he was trying to make a point about class. ✕ Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events But, speaking to journalists outside his London home, he said it was “weaselly for the BBC to chuck us under the bus“. He revealed that he ended his “lecture” from his bosses “with two very old fashioned Anglo-Saxon words”. Additional reporting by PA<doc-sep>
Danny Baker is being investigated by police after a complaint was made over a tweet he made about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s newborn son, Archie, which featured a picture of a chimpanzee. The 61-year-old DJ, who was sacked by BBC Radio 5 Live following accusations of racism, issued a statement on Friday to “formally apologise for the outrage I caused”. The Metropolitan police confirmed a complaint was made about the Twitter post, which showed a black-and-white photo of a well-dressed couple holding the hands of a suited chimpanzee with the caption: “Royal baby leaves hospital”. The tweet came on the same day that Prince Harry and Meghan, whose mother is African-American, posed with their baby son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. A Met police statement read: “An allegation has been received by the Metropolitan police service on Thursday 9 May in relation to a tweet published on 8 May. As is routine, the allegation will be reviewed and assessed by specialist officers.” Earlier on Friday, Baker released a statement: “Following one of the worst days of my life I just want to formally apologise for the outrage I caused and explain how I got myself into this mess. I chose the wrong photo to illustrate a joke. Disastrously so. “In attempting to lampoon privilege and the news cycle I went to a file of goofy pictures and saw the chimp dressed as a Lord and thought, ‘That’s the one!’ Had I kept searching I might have chosen General Tom Thumb or even a baby in a crown. But I didn’t. God knows I wish had.” I want to give Danny Baker the benefit of the doubt,but I’m really struggling to find any reasonable explanation for this tweet, now wisely deleted. pic.twitter.com/EtL1JUIu96 — Julia Hartley-Brewer (@JuliaHB1) May 8, 2019 The statement added: “Minutes later I was alerted by followers that this royal baby was of course mixed race and waves of panic and revulsion washed over me. Fuck, what had I done? I needed no lessons on the centuries slurs equating simians and people of colour. Racism at it’s basest. “I am aware black people do not need a white man to tell them this. Deleting it immediately and apologising for the awful gaffe I even foolishly tried to make light of it. (My situation that is, not the racism involved.) Too late and here I am. “I would like once and for all to apologise to every single person who, quite naturally, took the awful connection at face value. I understand that and all of the clamour and opprobrium I have faced since. I am not feeling sorry for myself. I fucked up. Badly. “But it was a genuine, naive and catastrophic mistake ... I am now paying the price for this crass and regrettable blunder and rightly so. Probably even this final word from me will extend the mania. (‘Dog whistle’ anyone?) I would like to thank friends on here for their kinder words and once again – I am so, so sorry.”