Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Radio 5 host Danny Baker cannot stay at the BBC?

999 replies

KingHenrysCodpiece · 09/05/2019 08:41

Sorry if theres a post on this already.
Link www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7009283/BBC-Radio-5-Live-host-Danny-Baker-tweets-racist-Royal-Baby-monkey-image.html

He ought to go immediately.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Busybusybust · 09/05/2019 09:35

This has really shocked. This is no way it CAN’T br construed as racist. Now only should he be sacked, he should be charged with racism. Tossed?

bellinisurge · 09/05/2019 09:37

He's my age. He's a clever guy. He knows this stuff.

findingmyfeet12 · 09/05/2019 09:37

I think Danny Baker is quite intelligent which makes me think he would never jeopardise his career by revealing himself to be racist on Twitter.

I'm starting to think it was an error in judgment. However, I'm not sure that's good enough reason for him to keep his job (assuming it's true).

NorthernRunner · 09/05/2019 09:38

He didn’t blame his age in his non existent apology, all his fans/supporters did. Lots of people saying (I don’t know how to link so I will print screen instead) ‘he is older he didn’t mean it in a racist way’ or ‘it’s just a funny picture, can’t make jokes anymore’...and so on.

BertrandRussell · 09/05/2019 09:39

Usually when people do this sort of thing it’s not a surprise. In this case, it’s truly baffling.

The80sweregreat · 09/05/2019 09:39

I've never met him, but i always had him down as the more intelligent type of presenter, usually did the less mainstream type radio shows and had more of a niche following. This has damaged that reputation ( for me anyway) Its such a shame when people do this type of thing
.As for my 'generation' comment, he may not have said it himself but a few people may use this as an excuse for what he did and I dont buy into that at all. Plus it gives us' oldies' a bad rep when we are aware this type of thing is unacceptable. It starts dividing people too.

I was equally critical when Prince Harry went to a fancy dress party dressed up as a Nazi many moons ago. ! Not quite the same, but I was a bit ' what on earth was he thinking'? as i am with this tweet and him.

BertrandRussell · 09/05/2019 09:40

“Lots of people saying (I don’t know how to link so I will print screen instead) ‘he is older he didn’t mean it in a racist way’ or ‘it’s just a funny picture, can’t make jokes anymore’...and so on.“

Ah, just like Mumsnet then.

AutumnCrow · 09/05/2019 09:41

He [Baker] 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.”

www.theguardian.com/media/2019/may/09/danny-baker-apologises-for-chimp-tweet-about-royal-baby

I don't think that excuse makes sense. He didn't just stumble across that photo.

NoSauce · 09/05/2019 09:41

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.”

This was his excuse afterwards. I don’t buy it.

cottonwoolmouth · 09/05/2019 09:42

That’s awful.

findingmyfeet12 · 09/05/2019 09:43

The apology isn't good enough for the nature of the offence. He's being very dismissive.

Mrsjayy · 09/05/2019 09:43

His excuse/reason makes no sense and isn't funny Hmm Danny is just digging a deeper hole

SkySmiler · 09/05/2019 09:43

Absolutely disgusting, beggars belief really, definitely has to go.

FunkyKingston · 09/05/2019 09:44

Let's be clear- If he had made a remark concerning a Jewish person he would have gone within hours!!

I'd check your own racist remarks before you start accusing others.

CaptainButtock · 09/05/2019 09:46

I thought he came across as a massive tit on that jungle thing. Still shocked to have it confirmed like this.
Witless tosser.

Candymay · 09/05/2019 09:46

How shocking! I’m baffled that anyone would think that was an acceptable joke. I don’t know or like Baker but I understand that he works for the bbc and I would expect that he will lose his job now. Haven’t others lost theirs for lesser insulting behaviour?

I do appreciate GinDaddy’s point but I think that would still leave him with a platform he does not deserve.

Original poster
KingHenrysCodpiece · 09/05/2019 09:47

I'm starting to think it was an error in judgment

I always say intention matters, and I usually give the benefit of the doubt first regarding racism and I also am a bit more tolerant when it comes to the older generation as I have a mixed background and so the occasional faux pas I personally choose to overlook.

But frankly what excuse can he give? Was he drinking massively? Taking mood altering medication the night before or something? It's just too blatant. And if it was an error in judgement, well he's clearly not very intelligent at all.

OP posts:
IceRebel · 09/05/2019 09:48

Was supposed to be joke about royals vs circus animals in posh clothes

Surely no one could look at that picture and think that. Confused

yolofish · 09/05/2019 09:51

He's a very clever man, a genuinely hilarious raconteur. He's been working in the media for at least 40 years. No way could he have not known what the picture suggested. I liked him before this - not any more.

findingmyfeet12 · 09/05/2019 09:51

The reason I'm saying it looks like an error in judgment is because it's so baffling that he would jeopardise his career in this way. I would have thought that he would do a better job at hiding racism for the sake of his career - maybe he was drunk and his true feeling slipped out?

I just can't understand it at all.

I still think it's a sackable offence so I'm not saying he ought to keep his job!

nancy75 · 09/05/2019 09:52

I've met Danny Baker a couple of times & he seemed an ok man.

I'm going to stick my neck out here, when I saw the picture it did take me a while to work out what all the fuss was about.
I am not overly interested in the royal family and although I knew Meghan is mixed race it wasn't at the forefront of my mind & isn't something I've given much thought to (I saw the baby being put on show aspect of the joke before the race aspect of it became obvious to me)

Ces6 · 09/05/2019 09:54

Honestly I think he made a mistake and nobody should be sacked for one mistake.

FoxSquadKitten · 09/05/2019 09:55

when I saw the picture it did take me a while to work out what all the fuss was about.

Really??!!! 🤔

findingmyfeet12 · 09/05/2019 09:55

We have the phrase "performing monkey" which he may be alluding to?

As yolofish has said he's very media savvy so I don't know what he was thinking if he thought this was in any way acceptable!

OutInTheCountry · 09/05/2019 09:55

I've always been a big fan of his and used to listen every day when he presented GLR (London). I can't imagine what he was thinking tbh. My only thought - and this might be clutching at straws - is that linking a monkey to a mixed-race baby is in itself a racist way of seeing the world as there's obviously no more of a link than to any baby - just like if you see something rude in a double entendre then it shows you have a bit of a dirty mind. Could it be that the link just didn't enter his head and he just saw it as a bit of a dig at the aristocracy? Having spent many happy hours in his company I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt but if this was some arsehole I didn't like I'd probably be calling for him to be sacked too......