Father Ted’ creator Graham Linehan arrested in UK over transgender posts on X
Irish writer and TV comedy creator Graham Linehan, best known for Father Ted and The IT Crowd, said he was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport on suspicion of inciting violence over posts he made about transgender issues on X.
Linehan, 57, claimed five armed police officers removed him from an incoming flight from Arizona on Sept. 1, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
He wrote on Substack that officers questioned him about three specific posts, including one in which he urged people to call police if transgender women entered female-only spaces and, “if all else fails, punch him in the balls.”
During questioning, a medical check revealed high blood pressure, leading to his transfer to hospital for observation. Linehan said police imposed a single bail condition: a ban on using Twitter (now X) while in the UK. He is also required to return for further questioning in October.
London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest of “a man in his 50s” arriving on an American Airlines flight, saying it was linked to posts on X.
Linehan, a long-time critic of transgender activism, already faces a separate trial later this week on harassment and criminal damage charges involving a transgender activist.
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