Will Graham Linehan’s new memoir continue some of the more unpopular takes he’s made in public?

‘Father Ted’ and ‘The I.T’ Crowd’ creator Graham Linehan may not be finding much luck with his television or stand-up career if his venue-changing saga at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is anything to go by, but his written word so far looks to be safe. Linehan’s memoir, ‘Tough Crowd: How I Made and Lost a Career in Comedy’ is set for release next month through independent published publisher Eye Books.

Described "emotionally charged" and "by turns hilarious and harrowing", the memoir has Linehan "reveal the secrets of the writing room and colourfully describes the high-octane atmosphere of a sitcom set", the publisher said. "But he also berates an industry where there was no one to stand by his side when he needed help".

In an interview with The Bookseller, publisher Dan Hiscocks acknowledged there might be some issues with bookshops selling Linehan’s work: “As a small independent publisher, getting retail support for any of our titles is a constant challenge. In this case, we’re expecting very strong customer demand but, as ever, it will be up to individual retailers whether they choose to supply that demand. It goes without saying that we very much hope they will, but even if they don’t, we’re well equipped to meet customer demand ourselves.”

The author himself expressed gratitude for the published to take a chance on his work, despite becoming persona non grata in recent years for his takes on trans-rights. “I’m immensely grateful to the team at Eye Books who helped me develop this book, and especially to Dan Hiscocks, who had the courage to commission it three years ago."

Will the book, which allegedly berates the industry that ‘turned their back’ on Linehan when he needed them the most, contain an explanation regarding some of the more popular takes he’s made on social media and in public since voicing his concerns over trans rights?

What have been some of Graham Linehan’s more controversial opinions?

In 2018, Graham Linehan tweeted that "the idea that a man can become a woman is utter nonsense" and that "trans women are men." This statement is a denial of the existence of transgender people and their right to self-identify. It is also a harmful and discriminatory statement that contributes to the stigmatization and marginalization of transgender people.

The statement that "trans women are men" was considered a denial of the reality of gender identity. Gender identity is a person's internal sense of their own gender. It is not based on a person's physical sex but on their own personal experience of gender. Transgender people's gender identity is just as valid as anyone else's.

Linehan was permanently suspended from Twitter in 2020 for violating the platform's rules against hateful conduct. He had been accused of making transphobic tweets, including one in which he said that "trans women are men." He also created a fake female profile on Her, a dating app designed for lesbians and other queer women. This was seen as an attempt to catfish and harass transgender women.

Linehan's actions on Twitter and Her were widely condemned by the LGBTQ+ community and by many others. He was accused of spreading misinformation and hate speech, and of contributing to a climate of intolerance and discrimination against transgender people.

In response to the criticism, Linehan said that he was a victim of "cancel culture" and that his views were based on "science and reason." He also said that he was not transphobic, but that he was simply "concerned about the safety of women and children."

In 2023, he was banned from writing for the BBC after he refused to apologise for his transphobic comments, and his stand-up at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival saw two venues cancel his appearance, over claims his comments do not align with the ideals that the venues support.

When is Graham Linehan’s memoir released?

‘Tough Crowd: How I Made and Lost a Career in Comedy’ by Graham Linehan is due for release on October 12 2023.