Exclusive
DAN WRONG
Danny Baker probed by cops over ‘racist’ tweet of Meghan royal baby photo
Police are investigating the shamed ex-BBC radio presenter over chimp photo after complaint
COPS are probing a complaint over Danny Baker’s royal baby tweet.
The DJ was sacked from BBC Radio 5 Live for posting a joke about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s son featuring a photo of a chimp.
9
9
9
Scotland Yard said: “An allegation has been received in relation to a tweet published on May 8.
"As is routine, the allegation will be reviewed and assessed by specialist officers.”
Baker, 61, called the incident “one of the worst days of my life” and admitted the tweet could be seen as “racism at its basest”.
He says he knew a royal baby was due but not that it was mixed-race Meg’s.
'I AM SO SORRY'
He said: “I chose the wrong photo for a joke. Disastrously so. I am so, so sorry.”
But Baker tweeted about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's baby TWO DAYS before posting the "racist" image that saw him fired from the BBC.
The former presenter bizarrely claimed yesterday he had no idea who little Archie's mum is - hours after a row erupted over the picture of a clothed chimp with the caption "royal baby leaves hospital".
9
9
Two days before posting the offending picture he had retweeted an article - with a picture of the royal pair - discussing what Meghan and Harry would call their baby.
In that retweet, on the day the birth was announced, he suggested "Homer Wallis Simpson", before telling the Sun Online days later he didn't know who out of the royals had welcomed a baby.
Baker said on Thursday: "Literally put a gun to my head and say ‘who was having a baby yesterday?’ I wouldn’t have been able to tell you.
'"I can name every squad in the Champions League but the royals is not my forte.
'GROTESQUE, STUPID GAG'
"I knew there was a royal baby. I didn’t know it was Meghan and Harry’s.
";If I’d known you simply wouldn’t have done it, would you? It was a big, stupid, grotesque, backfired gag."
Baker was sacked from his BBC Radio 5 Live role yesterday after outraged people called for him to be axed following the tweet posted hours after Meghan and Harry showed off Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
Twitter 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.
Literally put a gun to my head and say ‘who was having a baby yesterday?’ I wouldn’t have been able to tell you.
Danny Baker
Yesterday Baker came out fighting as he furiously slammed the BBC for the nature of his sacking, and was adamant he knew nothing about the royal baby.
He told the Sun Online he said "f*** you and f*** off" to the boss who fired him, and defended himself in a string of rambling messages on Twitter.
But today he appeared to backtrack and issued a groveling apology where he claimed the tweet was an attempt "to lampoon privilege & the news cycle" when he selected the image of the chimpanzee.
'PANIC AND REVULSION'
Baker 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."
And while making the claims he was unfamiliar with the royal family, other recent tweets show him making reference to them and Baby Sussex.
In February he retweeted a story about Meghan and Prince Harry's visit to Morocco, where the headline referenced her pregnancy.
And he made multiple mentions of Prince Philip at the beginning of the year following his crash, but said yesterday "I'm not the best royal watcher in the world".
Admitting he "f***ed up" this morning, he bashfully tweeted his 509,000 followers: "Good morning, everyone. 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.
"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 f***ed up. Badly."
Speaking on the doorstep of his £2million London home in pyjama bottoms yesterday, he said it's "not the first time and possibly not the last time" he will be sacked for controversy.
But described the backlash as "preposterous" and said he is not a "slathering secret racist" but added: "I wish I’d never posted it. It was a chimp in a posh suit... This time it backfired.
"I would never in a million years make light of racism. No one wishes this on themselves but here I am and you’ve got to deal with it."
Baker has been appearing on the BBC since the 1980s - with his next episode of The Danny Baker Show due to air at 9am tomorrow before he was let go.
MOST READ IN NEWS
Baker worked at BBC Radio 5 Live from 1990-93 before rejoining in 2008 until his sacking yesterday.
His earnings for the show - which attracted half a million listeners each Saturday - were not included in the broadcaster's annual salary list.
This suggests he was paid less than the £150,000 threshold that requires wages to be made public.
9
9
9
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce they have named their baby Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor
9
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle show off their new baby boy to the world
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.