Broadcaster Danny Baker has been fired by the BBC after posting what he described as a "stupid unthinking gag" about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's biracial newborn son in which he used a picture of a monkey.
On Wednesday the former 5 Live presenter had commented about the birth of the couple's son Archie, tweeting a photo of a man and woman holding hands with a chimpanzee dressed in clothes. He captioned the photo: "Royal baby leaves hospital."
Baker subsequently deleted the tweet and apologised amid accusations of racism. He said he had been trying to make a joke "about Royals vs circus animals in posh clothes" and was "appalled" after realising the picture's "possible connotations".
Just before announcing on Twitter that he had been fired, Baker had tweeted he "would have used same stupid pic" for other births.
"It's a funny image. (Though not of course in that context.)," he continued. "Enormous mistake, for sure. Grotesque. Anyway, here's to ya Archie, Sorry mate."
The 61-year-old apologised a number of times on Wednesday for the photo.
"Sorry my gag pic of the little fella in the posh outfit has whipped some up," he wrote. "Never occurred to me because, well, mind not diseased.
"Soon as those good enough to point out it's [sic] possible connotations got in touch, down it came. And that's it."
He later wrote: "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."
A BBC spokesperson said Baker's tweet was "a serious error of judgement" 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," they added.
