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Danny Baker, former 5 Live presenter has been relieved of his duties at BBC due to his “stupid unthinking gag” posted on Twitter.
The controversial picture included an image of a couple holding hands with a chimpanzee dressed in clothes with the caption: “Royal Baby leaves hospital”. The post sparked a lot of controversies before it was eventually taken down. However, as a result of the sensitivities surrounding the post, the presenter was fired by the BBC. Apologising for his oversight, he mentioned: “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.”
Speaking to the media outside his home, he also added: “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.”“The call to fire me… 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…”I do not, not understand all of this, I get it. But for 5 live to chuck us under the bus like this, dear lord…. “I’m annoyingly ebullient and if you’re accused of the kind of grotesque racism but you’re not, you don’t wring your hands. Ill advised, ill thought out and stupid but racist? No, I’m aware how delicate that imagery is.”
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