Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan, best known for creating the sitcoms Father Ted and The IT Crowd, was arrested at Heathrow Airport on September 1, 2025. He was detained by five armed Metropolitan Police officers immediately after arriving from Arizona, on suspicion of inciting violence in connection with three posts made in April on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). One post suggested violent action—punching—in response to a trans-identified male entering a female-only space, another featured a caption reading "A photo you can smell" accompanying a trans-rights rally image, and a third read, "I hate them. Misogynists and homophobes. F*** em." Supporters argue these were hyperbolic jokes reflecting his anger over perceived encroachments on women’s rights.

Linehan described the arrest as “surreal” and likened being met by armed officers to being treated like a “terrorist,” especially after a ten-hour flight. He reported that severe stress during the 12-hour detention caused his blood pressure to rise to dangerous levels, necessitating hospital observation in A&E for approximately eight hours.

He was later released on bail, with conditions including a prohibition on using X while in the UK and a requirement to attend a further interview or court proceedings in October.

Linehan is also scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in relation to separate allegations involving harassment of a transgender activist and criminal damage to her mobile phone during an event last October—charges he denies and to which he has pleaded not guilty.

The arrest has intensified debate in the UK over the balance between free speech and hate speech. Critics have questioned whether law enforcement is becoming overly suppressive, while Linehan and his supporters argue that the UK is becoming hostile to dissenting social commentary.

Linehan, a five-time BAFTA winner, has in recent years become widely known not for his television comedy but for his outspoken critique of the transgender rights movement, a stance that he says has cost him professionally and personally—including the collapse of a planned Father Ted musical and the dissolution of his marriage.