Father Ted creator Graham Linehan has issued a stark warning to Britons after his US Congress appearance on Wednesday.
Mr Linehan, 57, had warned lawmakers of how ideology and freedom of speech “cannot coexist” in front of the House Judiciary Committee.
There, he fumed at critics – including the British police, who “have harassed me for expressing views that the majority of the public share” – as well as those who cancelled him.
He told the Committee: “In 10 years, not one person, not the police who arrested me, not the colleagues who condemned me, not the friends who turned away, has told any of us what we did wrong.”
Mr Linehan also warned Congresspeople: “If the British Government can ignore its own Supreme Court to appease gender activists, so can yours.”
The comedy legend then joined Bev Turner on The Late Show Live last night to reflect on his testimony in Washington DC – and lay down a dire free speech warning.
Mr Linehan, an outspoken gender-critical activist, said his most important statement to the House was about Labour “ignoring” last year’s common-sense Supreme Court trans ruling.
In April 2025, Britain’s highest court confirmed that “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 means biological sex.
Mr Linehan, 57, had warned lawmakers of how ideology and freedom of speech ‘cannot coexist’ in front of the House Judiciary Committee
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GETTY
He told The People’s Channel: “The most important statement to me today was about the fact that the British Government are ignoring the Supreme Court ruling, which is such a dangerous thing.
“If the Government ignores the law, then why should anyone follow it?”
He added: “What they’re doing is they’re ignoring the guidance from the Supreme Court that sex means biological sex. They’re just ignoring it.
“And so we still have women in prison… it is the most extraordinary cruelty and sadism to put women alongside potential rapists and sex offenders.”
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Graham Linehan told GB News that Labour’s ignorance of the April 2025 Supreme Court ruling was a ‘dangerous thing’
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GB NEWS
He then told GB News how his rise from cancellation to addressing Congress was “very surreal”.
“I’ve gone from being absolutely buried 1,000 feet underground, with no platform at all, to appearing in front of the House Judicial Committee. I couldn’t quite believe it,” Mr Linehan revealed.
The 57-year-old also shed chilling light on his dealings with trans activists – and how he has effectively been barred from comedy writing for nearly a decade.
“I was completely isolated and trans activists were able to focus on me and just pick me off with sniper fire.
“Every time I tried to do something or tried to work with someone people would contact them and say, you know, ‘he’s a bigot’.”
“I didn’t work in an office, so I didn’t notice the HR revolution,” he jabbed.
“A bunch of HR people came into offices all over the West and said trans women are women, surgeries for children are absolutely essential and so on and so forth.
The Supreme Court confirmed that the terms ‘sex’, ‘man’ and ‘woman’ in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological sex
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PA“And so I was just a little bit naive. I had no idea how ingrained some of these ideas were. When I stood up against them, I didn’t really realise the forces that I was facing.”
But now, he is back to work.
Mr Linehan has teamed up with comedy star Rob Schneider and comedian and former GB News host Andrew Doyle to pen a new series called Tenure.
“Rob Schneider has saved my life in many ways,” he said. “You know, he’s provided a secure place where I can write comedy without feeling that there’s going to be a knock on the door.”
Regarding free speech in Britain, a Downing Street spokesman said: “The Prime Minister was very clear in his meeting with the President that the UK has a proud history of freedom of speech and that will endure. That continues to be our position.”
