Father Ted creator Graham Linehan says he does not regret anti-trans tweets and plans to sue police after arrest
Comparing his arrest to being treated like a "terrorist", Linehan says he remains "infuriated" following his arrest over social media posts about trans women
By Aaron Sugg
Father Ted creator Graham Linehan has said he does not regret any of his social media posts after he was arrested over comments about trans women made online.
The 57-year-old Irish comedian was taken into custody at Heathrow Airport by armed officers on suspicion of inciting violence via online posts.
One post on X urged people to “make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls” if a trans woman was in a women-only space.
“I went nuts, I was absolutely infuriated” – Graham Linehan on his arrest for trans comments
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.
— Graham Linehan 🎗️ (@Glinner) April 20, 2025
Linehan is now out on bail with restriction as he cannot use Twitter while the investigation continues. Speaking to GB News about his arrest, he said: “I went nuts, I was absolutely infuriated… I was so incandescent with anger they did talk about putting cuffs on me.”
He reiterated his anger to BBC News: “I got very, very angry, because for eight years now, I’ve been standing up for women’s rights and trying to get people’s attention about what’s happening to kids in gender clinics.”
The writer spoke on the comments that lead to this arrest, saying again they are fuelled by anger: “I don’t regret anything I’ve tweeted – sometimes I’ve tweeted a bit more out of anger, because of the frustration that no-one’s paying attention to this issue.”
“Wrongful arrest and false imprisonment” – Linehan on suing the police
At Heathrow, he was met by five armed police officers, who explained he was going to be arrested because of his online posts.
He posted to his blog afterwards: “When I first saw the cops, I actually laughed. I couldn’t help myself. ‘Don’t tell me! You’ve been sent by trans activists.”
Comparing how the police treated him as if he were a “terrorist” adding he was “locked in a cell like a criminal.”
Linehan said he would be suing the police “for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment”.
The head of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, has since defended the officers involved, but said he recognised “concern caused by such incidents given differing perspectives on the balance between free speech and the risks of inciting violence in the real world”.