Danny Baker.

I’ve known Danny for years; my wife used to be his agent. He’s not without his faults but he’s one of the funniest, kindest, most generous people you could wish to meet. He’s been all over the papers this week because he’s been sacked (again) by the BBC. This time for posting a “racist” tweet comparing the royal baby to a chimpanzee. The tweet was crass and stupid but there was absolutely no racist intent. Danny should have known better but it would never have occurred to him to link a chimpanzee with a child who’s 25% Afro-American. His 1970s London upbringing was not unlike mine. We grew up surrounded by black people. It was the norm. That’s why we tend not to see “people of colour”, we just see “people”. And there’s the irony. He thought that tweet was funny not because he’s a racist but, actually, because he isn’t.