Police watchdog orders Met to reinvestigate whether Graham Linehan was arrested for his gender-critical views

Graham Linehan, the Father Ted co-creator, was stopped and interviewed by armed Metropolitan Police officers at Heathrow Airport in September 2026 in connection with anti-transgender remarks he had made on social media. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has since ruled that the Met's handling of Linehan's complaint was 'not reasonable and proportionate' and has directed Scotland Yard to carry out a fresh investigation. The IOPC specifically instructed the force to consider whether Linehan faced discrimination on the basis of his gender-critical beliefs.

The watchdog concluded that the Met failed to give adequate explanations for the grounds of Linehan's arrest and did not follow up lines of enquiry relating to his bail conditions.

Linehan has spoken previously about how going public with gender-critical views in 2018 cost him both his television career and his marriage.

Once the Met completes its reinvestigation, Linehan will retain the right to seek a further review from the IOPC.