BBC sacks presenter who compares Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son to chimpanzee

The British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, has fired presenter Danny Baker who tweeted an image of a chimpanzee dressed in clothes with the caption “Royal Baby leaves hospital.’’

Meghan, the wife of Prince Harry, gave birth to a baby boy, Archie, in the early hours of Monday. The child is the first mixed-race child to be born into the top hierarchy of British royalty in recent history.

“Just got fired,” Baker, the broadcaster with BBC Radio 5Live, says on Twitter.

Confirming Baker’s sack, a BBC spokesperson says: “This was a serious error of judgment.”

The 61-year-old 5Live presenter was accused of mocking the duchess’ racial heritage.

The corporation added that Baker’s tweet “goes against the values we as a station aim to embody.

“Danny is a brilliant broadcaster, but will no longer be presenting a weekly show with us.”

After the initial backlash on social media on Wednesday, 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 its possible connotations got in touch, down it came. And that’s it.”

In a later tweet, he adds: “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.”

Speaking to reporters outside his home, he said of the tweet, according to BBC: “Ill-advised, ill-thought-out and stupid, but racist? No, I’m aware of how delicate that imagery is.”