Police watchdog says Graham Linehan's arrest may have been unjustified

In September 2025, armed Metropolitan Police officers arrested comedy writer Graham Linehan at Heathrow Airport following a transgender activist’s complaint about a social-media post. The Independent Office for Police Conduct reviewed the Met’s actions and determined the arrest and subsequent handling were neither reasonable nor proportionate, ordering a new inquiry and a specific look at potential discrimination based on his gender-critical stance.

The IOPC noted the force gave no satisfactory explanation for the arrest and neglected to pursue lines of enquiry regarding his bail. Linehan, whose public statements on trans issues he says ruined his career and marriage, had earlier been compensated £25,000 by the Met after an internal probe deemed his detention unacceptable. The Crown Prosecution Service had previously decided no realistic prospect of conviction existed. The watchdog’s ruling also grants Linehan the right to request another review if the reinvestigation’s outcome is unsatisfactory.