At a fringe event during the Conservative Party conference, comedy writer Graham Linehan claimed to be “the most cancelled person in this room”. Linehan, best known for creating TV shows such as The IT Crowd and Father Ted, has been accused of transphobia due to his views on gender. His controversial opinions have led to many of his appearances being cancelled and he expressed frustration at the lack of places for him to speak his mind these days.
In August, a comedy show in Edinburgh featuring Linehan was cancelled due to complaints. He has been an outspoken critic of transgender self-identification and believes that free speech in the UK is being stifled by groups that are out of touch with the views of the general public. Specifically, he accused the BBC of trying to suppress debate on trans issues.
Linehan shared the stage with historian and Daily Telegraph columnist Tim Stanley, academic Matthew Goodwin, and Marc Glendinning, head of cultural affairs at the Institute for Economic Affairs think tank. All four speakers discussed the importance of free speech and criticised those who are intolerant of opinions that differ from their own.
The writer has been involved in several social media disputes with trans activists, and in 2020, he was permanently suspended from Twitter for violating the platform’s rules on “hateful content”. His account was reinstated after tech entrepreneur Elon Musk intervened. Despite the controversies, Linehan remains one of the most successful comedy writers in the UK, having created several beloved TV shows that are still widely watched and quoted today
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