Danny Baker to revive BBC radio show as podcast

Danny Baker will return with a new podcast after being sacked by the BBC over an allegedly racist tweet about the royal baby.

The broadcaster said the twice-weekly podcast, which mirrors his former BBC Radio 5 Live show, will start in 2020.

Baker tweeted: “My own stand alone podcast, featuring all the old firm and even the Sausage Sandwich Game, will begin in the new year.

“Emails encouraged, calls taken, subjects bizarre. A twice a week meeting, we can rule the world.”

Referring to his radio nickname, he added: “#CandyManReturns.”

He later tweeted: “Well that’s me for now. I only nip in for half hour a night now. Learned my lesson. Good night. #GoodEveningEverybody.”

Baker, 61, was dismissed by the BBC in May for tweeting an image of a well-dressed man and woman holding hands with a suited chimpanzee, which he captioned: “Royal baby leaves hospital” following the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son.

Baker had hosted his Saturday programme on BBC Radio 5 Live since 2008.

His controversial tweet came on the same day Harry and Meghan, whose mother is African American, posed with their new arrival, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Following a backlash and accusations of racism, he deleted the post and apologised.

He later called the day of the sacking “one of the worst days of my life”, but blasted his bosses for their handling of the controversy, saying he was trying to make a point about class.

The BBC called Baker’s tweet a “serious error of judgment”.

A police investigation into Baker over his tweet was dropped several days after an allegation was made to Scotland Yard.

A statement said: “An allegation was received by the Metropolitan Police Service on Thursday May 9 in relation to a tweet published on May 8.

“Having reviewed the comments made, we do not consider that a criminal threshold has been met and as such we will be taking no further action.”

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