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>It’s the baby the world has been waiting to meet. Here’s your first look at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s adorable newborn. It’s the baby the world has been waiting to meet. Here’s your first look at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s adorable newborn.... BBC radio star Danny Baker has been fired over a “racist” royal baby tweet showing a picture of a monkey that he posted last night. The Radio 5 Live host was sacked after he was slammed yesterday for the post, which came just hours after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry showed off Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, The Sun reports. The tweet showed a picture of a couple clinging on to a monkey wearing a suit with the caption: “Royal baby leaves hospital”. 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 Danny Baker posts an image comparing Archie - a Royal newborn with African heritage to an APE 🤬🤬 Danny Baker should be sacked by the morning !!! pic.twitter.com/vZ4OkLTJVI — Say It With Your Chest Podcast (@withyourchest) May 8, 2019 What shocks me about Danny Baker (@prodnose) posting this photo is that it seemingly never occurred to him how this might be adjudged racist. How have you become that blind to the world Danny? A mixed-race Royal baby & so you searched out a photo with a chimp? WTAF?! pic.twitter.com/vXJZ8fQjrs — Jim AK (@jamesak47) May 8, 2019 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 pic.twitter.com/YymUUqHCRY — Cllr Joseph Ejiofor (@CllrEjiofor) May 9, 2019 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 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.” Once again. Sincere apologies for the stupid unthinking gag pic earlier. Was supposed to be joke about Royals vs circus animals in posh clothes but interpreted as about monkeys & race, so rightly deleted. Royal watching not my forte. Also, guessing it was my turn in the barrel. pic.twitter.com/86cQGbAhDc — Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 8, 2019 Here we go. Opened door, grinning Mail hack. "Do you think black people look like monkeys?" Any other time you'd knock someone right on their arse for saying that. No mate. Gag pic. Posh baby chimp. Alerted to circs. Appalled. Deleted. Apologised. He asks again! #MailonRacism — Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 9, 2019 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.#Occam #Razor — Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 9, 2019 The call to fire me from @bbc5live 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. #Fuckem — Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 9, 2019 This isn’t the first time the presenter has faced controversy - he was sacked from 5 Live in 1997 when station bosses alleged he had incited threatening behaviour in an outburst over a referee. When Chelsea beat Leicester City in the FA Cup tie that year he reportedly launched an attack on Mike Reed, the man who awarded the penalty that clinched it. And in 2012 he attacked the BBC on Twitter and on air after his show was cancelled. CALLS FOR BAKER TO BE AXED The star was fired after outraged Twitter users called on the BBC to axe him from his BBC Radio 5 Live Saturday show following the tweet. One said: “Imagine thinking that tweeting this would end well in 2019. Guess that’s Danny Baker cancelled, then...” Another wrote: “I’m assuming that The awful #BBC5Live Danny Baker programme will be cancelled. Please. #5Live.” 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 is have “diseased minds”. Classic example of blaming those of us who call out racism for its existence pic.twitter.com/6gtKMpaHZY — Afua Hirsch (@afuahirsch) May 8, 2019 Sorry, Danny Baker needs to go. There's far too much tolerance of racism - the country is really in danger of slipping into a murky and ignorant abyss, a sludge made up of xenophobia, racial intolerance and insensitivity. A genuine lack of intelligence. Make it stop. — Philip Priestley 🇪🇺🇮🇪 (@PublicPriestley) May 8, 2019 In order to ‘make right’ his stupidity, Danny Baker has referred to those offended as “lunatics”, and tweeted the below. If he genuinely felt his tweet was stupid, and could honestly see the offence caused (as he’s suggested), he’d be saying “I’ve no one else to blame, I’m sorry” pic.twitter.com/g7KE6KAzJG — Alan Mehdizadeh (@alanmehdizadeh) May 9, 2019 I've followed Danny Baker's work for many many years now. Never heard a hint of racism, sexism or any other ism. It's never been part of his output or his persona. He does love a monkey gag/photo and I'm in no doubt he never meant the connotation that is making people so angry. — Dan M (@SirArthurIndeed) May 8, 2019 I reckon that jumping to that conclusion probably says a lot more about them than it does Danny. I didn't see it as anything other than a silly pic, but then my mind never goes to "black people = monkeys" so I wouldn't. — ColinTheWarriorMonkey (@CTWarriorMonkey) May 9, 2019 While one user said: “@BBC remove that racist pig Danny Baker for sending out that racist picture about the new #Royal baby. Disgraceful.” Baker is a comedy writer and radio DJ, he has been appearing on the BBC since the 1980s - with his next episode of The Danny Baker Show airing at 9am on Saturday on BBC 5 Live. He also currently produces a podcast with former footballer Gary Lineker called “Lineker and Baker: Behind Closed Doors”. His tweets came after Meghan and Harry proudly showed off their first born child yesterday to the world. The new parents appeared tired but ecstatic as they cradled the newborn, with mum Meghan gushing: “I have the best two guys in the world”. Meghan, 37, stunned in a white sleeveless dress as she stood by grinning new dad Prince Harry, 34, who wore a pale grey suit and navy tie. The new mother kept a watchful eye over her baby boy as she described life as a mum, saying: “It’s magic. “It’s pretty amazing. I have the best two guys in the world, so I’m really happy.” And she said the baby boy, who is just two days old, already had the “sweetest temperament” -—with Harry interjecting: “I don’t know who he gets that from!” The Prince later said: “Parenting is amazing. It’s only been what — two and a half days, three days — but we are just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy and to be able to spend some precious times with him as he slowly starts to grow up.” The Sun Online has approached the BBC for comment. Baker’s representatives told the Sun Online he would be making no further comment. This article originally appeared on The Sun and is published here with permission.<doc-sep>
The BBC fired a radio personality this week after he posted a racist tweet targeting Prince Harry, Duchess Meghan and their newborn baby, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The New York Times reported that the host, Danny Baker, was fired from the news agency on Thursday, days after he tweeted a photo showing a couple holding hands with a chimpanzee in a suit. The tweet was captioned: “Royal baby leaves hospital.” ADVERTISEMENT Baker had reportedly posted that tweet, which has since been deleted, on Wednesday, shortly after Archie made his debut to the public. The BBC’s Radio 5 Live, where Baker used to host a weekend broadcast, confirmed Baker’s firing in a statement to the Times that was released on Friday. In the statement, the platform condemned Baker’s tweet as something that “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,” it added. Baker also confirmed his firing in a tweet on Friday and appeared to express some kind of apology for the racist post in another tweet the night before. “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,” he said in the post. “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.” 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 — Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 8, 2019 Baker also attacked his former employer's move to fire him in another tweet as "a masterclass of pompous faux-gravity." The call to fire me from @bbc5live 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. #Fuckem — Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 9, 2019 Since the royal couple introduced Archie to the public this week, several media outlets have also come under fire for posts critics labelled as racist. CNN also faced criticism earlier this week for a publishing a piece touching on racial issues and stereotypes surrounding Archie’s birth that included the subhead, “How black will the royal baby be?" My God @CNN just legitimately asked “How black will the royal baby be?” **and 100% un-ironically warned** “commentators who reinforce dangerous racist stereotypes are totally unaware of the damage”‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/TBd3Amgg7G — Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) May 7, 2019 “Guys. GUYS. Whether the royal baby is SUPER-DUPER BLACK or whether it’s NORMAL, let’s all agree to not be racist because that’s really really uncool, mmkay?” - CNN pic.twitter.com/bUZ1VQohLK — Eric Haywood (@EricHaywood) May 7, 2019 The Los Angeles Times also faced heat from social media users earlier this week after it shared an opinion piece shortly after Archie's birth, titled: "Will Meghan Markle and Prince Harry raise their baby to be black?"