The internet reacts to Danny Baker’s sacking over his royal baby chimp tweet

John Plunkett. Updated May 9th, 2019

As you will no doubt know by now, Danny Baker has been sacked by Radio 5 Live after he was accused of posting a racially insensitive tweet about the birth of the royal baby.

Here’s what he shared in a tweet that was later deleted …

… and followed by an apology (or two).

Ha! I see my silly unthinking gag pic earlier has me trending. Last time that happened it had been announced I had head cancer. On balance…

— Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 8, 2019

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

But the controversy kept mounting.

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

And the presenter later revealed he’d been given the sack.

Just got fired from @bbc5live.
For the record – it was red sauce. Always.

— 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

And it’s fair to say people are divided about his sacking. Very divided. There were lots of people saying things like this …

Anyone familiar with Danny Baker’s “fairground chimps dressed as famous people” bit on his radio show will know where his rather clumsy earlier tweet came from. I don’t believe the man has a racist bone in his body. Period. #DannyBaker

— Rich Thomas (@RichEThomas) May 8, 2019

Danny Baker clearly didn't mean what people think he meant….. but then again this is 2019 and a lifetime of being a decent bloke doesn't give you the benefit of the doubt does it ffs

— Matteo (@matteoj17) May 8, 2019

https://twitter.com/rugbyhugs/status/1126427063093690368

I trust now that the BBC has sacked Danny Baker they also wont give any time to massive racists like Tommy Robinson and Nigel Farage pic.twitter.com/zRsT9vdVLT

— Middleagedgamer (@Middleagedgame2) May 9, 2019

This is insane. https://t.co/N3whHYCmH9

— rufus jones (@rufusjones1) May 9, 2019

And people saying things like this.

https://twitter.com/TheLondonHughes/status/1126427101752508416

https://twitter.com/SpillerOfTea/status/1126208508687519745

All those people defending Danny Baker saying they can't see the connection between being black and monkey. Try being a black kid at school for a while. pic.twitter.com/y0crrXF0Jd

— Nick (@Nick_BLM) May 9, 2019

"Danny Baker" is 61 years old, he's been an entertainer for decades, a radio show presenter and so on. How the fuck in 2019 can he possibly claim to be unaware of ne of the oldest and most offensive racist tropes of all??? https://t.co/awlqMpCOBj

— B Paley (@ObrovskyTC) May 8, 2019

The Danny Baker "unthinking" excuse is not an excuse at all – if you do, say or post something so obviously racist and claim it's "unthinking", then, well, you're a racist

— Jane Merrick (@janemerrick23) May 9, 2019

And then, in pursuit of a little light relief, there were these people.

Danny Baker sacked for a chimp tweet?

It’s PG gone mad

— Mrs Gladys Steptoe (@GladysSteptoe) May 9, 2019

Danny Baker is escorted off BBC property. pic.twitter.com/gwopbYIxbl

— Michael Legge (@michaellegge) May 9, 2019

It seems my first day running the Danny Baker twitter account has gone off without a hitch.

— Danny (@qprrforme) May 8, 2019

Well this is awkward pic.twitter.com/r7GpcjTvwi

— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) May 9, 2019