Graham Linehan says he may never return to Britain
– 2 min read
Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan, best known for creating the hit sitcom Father Ted, has declared he may never return to Britain, citing what he describes as a lack of freedom of speech following his recent arrest at Heathrow Airport.
Linehan, 57, was detained by police upon arrival from Arizona earlier this week. The arrest was reportedly linked to three controversial posts he made on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), which police deemed to be inciting violence. One of the posts included the statement: “If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls.”
Speaking to The Times, Linehan described the incident as “the perfect finale to my time in the UK”, adding: “I decided to leave Britain because it really is impossible for me to stay. I just don’t have freedom of speech in this country.”
He also expressed dismay at the reaction from his peers in the comedy world, saying: “Almost all my friends in comedy betrayed me. Not one of them stood up and said, ‘Linehan’s not a bigot’, and of course, women need fair sports and single-sex spaces.”
Linehan, who now resides in the United States, said he feels “so far away from all these nut-jobs who have the police wrapped around their finger”, and added: “I don’t think I’ll ever come back to Britain.”
In addition to the online posts, Linehan is currently on trial for allegedly harassing teen trans activist Sophia Brooks and damaging her mobile phone during an encounter at the “Battle of Ideas” conference in London last October. Prosecutors say Linehan threw Brooks’ phone across the road, causing £369 worth of damage.
The court heard that Linehan referred to Brooks using derogatory terms online and repeatedly called her “Tarquin,” which she said was a reference to her perceived poshness. A video played in court appeared to show Linehan grabbing Brooks’ phone during a heated exchange. Brooks testified that Linehan’s behaviour left her feeling “alarmed and distressed”.
