UK police apologize to 'Father Ted' creator Graham Linehan for arrest over trans social media posts
The Metropolitan Police in the UK has apologized to comedy writer Graham Linehan for his wrongful arrest over social media posts regarding transgender issues. Linehan was detained at Heathrow Airport in September 2025 on suspicion of inciting violence, but prosecutors later dropped the case. Following a five-month investigation, the police acknowledged shortcomings in their handling of the case and expressed their commitment to learning from the experience.
- ▪Graham Linehan was arrested by five armed officers at Heathrow Airport in September 2025.
- ▪The arrest was based on social media posts criticizing transgender activists, reported as a hate crime.
- ▪The Metropolitan Police has since apologized for the investigation's shortcomings and vowed to improve their practices.
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Media UK police apologize to 'Father Ted' creator Graham Linehan for arrest over trans social media posts Five armed officers detained the comedy writer at Heathrow in September 2025 on suspicion of inciting violence By Kristine Parks Fox News Published May 20, 2026 8:00am EDT Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Irish comedian’s arrest supercharges free speech debate in Britain Comedy writer Graham Linehan joins 'Fox & Friends' to discuss the backlash he faced after making comments on transgender people, the state of free speech in Britain and more. The Metropolitan Police has issued an apology to an Irish comedy writer who was arrested over his social media posts criticizing transgender issues, according to a new report.
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