Father Ted creator Graham Linehan ‘arrested' at Heathrow Airport over 'X posts on trans issues'
He was arrested at Heathrow Airport after he arrived on an inbound American Airlines flight.
Father Ted writer Graham Linehan has said he was arrested at Heathrow Airport over three X posts on trans issues.
The comedy writer, 57, alleges he was detained by five armed officers immediately after he stepped off the plane from Arizona and told he was under arrest over the social media posts.
Writing in an email to followers of his Substack platform, Mr Linehan said he was taken to a cell and then questioned over three X posts, published in April.
One post said: “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.”
Another was a photograph of a trans rights protest, with the comment “a photo you can smell”. A follow-up post said: “I hate them. Misogynists and homophobes. F**k em.”
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The writer said, after questioning by police, his blood pressure had reached “stroke territory”. Mr Linehan claimed he was taken to hospital and kept under observation before being released on bail.
The writer said he has been bailed until October and ordered not to post on X as part of his conditions.
The Met Police did not identify Mr Linehan, but a spokeswoman said: “On Monday, September 1 at 1pm, officers arrested a man at Heathrow Airport after he arrived on an inbound American Airlines flight.
“The man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence. This is in relation to posts on X.
“After being taken to police custody, officers became concerned for his health and he was taken to hospital. His condition is neither life-threatening nor life-changing. He has now been bailed pending further investigation.”
Separately, Mr Linehan is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday accused of harassing transgender woman Sophia Brooks and damaging her phone, which he denies.
In 2023, Mr Linehan appeared at a stand-up comedy gig outside the Scottish Parliament after it was cancelled twice by Edinburgh venues over his views on gender issues.