Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan said he was arrested at Heathrow airport over a series of posts about transgender people.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that a man in his fifties was arrested at Heathrow on Monday at 1pm on suspicion of inciting violence relating to posts on social media platform X (Twitter), as he arrived on an inbound American Airlines flight.
They did not confirm the identity of the figure, but added that after being taken into police custody, officers became concerned for his health and he was taken to hospital.
His condition was neither life-threatening nor life-changing, and he has now been bailed pending further investigation.
Linehan, 57, shared further details of the arrest on his blog, which he said occurred as he was returning from Arizona. He claimed to have “been flagged” and “arrested at an airport like a terrorist”.
“The moment I stepped off the plane at Heathrow, five armed police officers were waiting. Not one, not two – five,” he wrote. “They escorted me to a private area and told me I was under arrest for three tweets.”
He reshared the posts, which were originally posted in April, one of which called on people to “call the cops” on trans-identifying people and “if all else fails, punch him in the balls”.
Another post showed a crowd of people at a protest, many holding transgender and LGBT+ Pride flags, which he wrote over the top: “A photo you can smell.”
The third post he claimed had led to his arrest was in response to someone who commented under this photo, where he said: “I hate them. Misogynists and homophobes. F*** em.”
He claimed his belt, bag and devices were confiscated as he was shown to a small green-tiled cell with a bunk and silver toilet, and he was questioned about his posts, which he said “was a serious point made with a joke”.
When a nurse came to check on him, he claimed they found his blood pressure was in “stroke territory” because “the stress of being arrested for jokes was literally threatening my life”, which led him to be escorted to A&E.
He added that his single bail condition is that he is not to go on X, and he faces a further interview in October.
Linehan is already facing trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday over two separate charges. One is in relation to harassing transgender activist Sophia Brooks on social media, and the other is for damaging Ms Brooks’s mobile phone in October. He denied the charges at a hearing on 12 May.
The Irish Bafta-winning writer has become increasingly known in recent years for sharing anti-trans rhetoric online that has attracted significant criticism from LGBT+ groups.
In his 2023 memoir titled Tough Crowd: How I Made and Lost a Career in Comedy, Linehan claimed his “unfashionable” views on trans rights had led him to being blacklisted in the entertainment industry and cost him his marriage.
Last year, he announced he was leaving the UK to move to Arizona and was intending to film three episodes of a new sitcom with actor Rob Schneider.
A Met Police spokesperson said: “On Monday, September 1, at 1pm, officers arrested a man at Heathrow airport after he arrived on an inbound American Airlines flight.
“The man in his fifties was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence. This is in relation to posts on X.
“After being taken to police custody, officers became concerned for his health and he was taken to hospital. His condition is neither life-threatening nor life-changing.
“He has now been bailed pending further investigation.”
In response to Linehan’s claim that he was arrested by armed officers, the force said: “The arrest was made by officers from the MPS aviation unit. It is routine for officers policing airports to carry firearms. These were not drawn or used at any point during the arrest.”
