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Comedian Richard Ayoade and TV presenter Jonathan Ross are facing criticism after it emerged that endorsements for their books feature prominently in a book by controversial Irish writer Graham Linehan.
Linehan, who created or co-created comedies including Father Ted and black books, will soon publish a memoir entitled Tough Crowd: How I Made and Lost a Comedy Career.
He fell into public disgrace after several incidents in which he expressed anti-transgender or transphobic views, including comparing the use of puberty blockers to Nazi eugenics and experiments on children.
Linehan has repeatedly expressed her belief that she is a victim of cancel culture and that her views have caused her to lose her job and led to her divorce.
tough crowd will delve into these topics and feature the 55-year-old berating “an industry where there was no one to be there for him when he needed help.”
Some of the book’s early reviews have been included as part of its online marketing. One notable name cited alongside the memoir is Linehan’s ex. IT Crowd colleague, Ayoade, who played shy computer technician Maurice Moss in the Channel 4 comedy.
Ayoade’s quote reads: “Graham Linehan has long been one of my favorite writers, and this book proves that his brilliance in prose is equal to his brilliance as a screenwriter. It unfolds with the urgency of a Sam Fuller film: that of a man who has gone through something that few have experienced but who has managed to return, undaunted, to tell us the story.”
A review by Ross praises Linehan as “one of the greatest television comedy writers of all time.” The quote goes on to state that the book is “a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered: a) how to create a successful sitcom and b) what it feels like to lose everything.” It’s fun, complicated and absolutely compelling.”
On Thursday (September 14), Ayoade’s name was trending in the UK on Twitter/X after several social media users shared a screenshot of her quote supporting the memoir.
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Richard Ayoade, Graham Linehan and Jonathan Ross
(Getty/PA)
Transgender journalist and activist India Willoughby wrote: “Richard Ayoade’s endorsement of Graham Linehan is truly a disappointment, because at this point in the gender war, it would take a lot of cognitive dissonance not to see Glinner for who he is.”
Elsewhere, another social media user commented: “I think Richard Ayoade sympathizes with exactly one thing: his partner having the means to promote.”
When he approached The independent, a representative for Richard Ayoade declined to comment. A representative for Jonathan Ross did not immediately respond.
Linehan has repeatedly described the trans “movement” as “pedophilic” and in 2020 he was banned from X/Twitter for a “violation of the rules of conduct that incites hate.”
His profile was reinstated – along with other controversial figures, including former US president Donald Trump and rapper Kanye West – when Elon Musk took over the social media platform late last year.
In April 2023, he was again temporarily suspended from Twitter after making a joke about the murder of protesters at an anti-trans demonstration in Belfast.
Graham Linehan said he would consider suing Leith Arches for canceling his concert (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)
(PA File)
Last October, it was revealed that the number of transphobic hate crimes in the UK had increased by 56 per cent compared to the previous year, with a Home Office report linking the rise to discussions on social media.
speaking to The times This year, Linehan denied that he disliked trans people. He said: “Trans is very loosely defined. It seems to cover both Eddie Izzard and a 16 year old girl who has dysphoria. There has to be an understanding of the difference between a transsexual who has been through something immense in his life and someone who puts on black nail polish and tries to enter the women’s bathroom.
“As we keep pointing out, we are only talking about places where conflicts arise. My point has never changed. These are women in prison, women in rape crisis centers, women in locker rooms. It’s about children. It’s about homophobia. This is an incredible new form of sexism that I believe is the worst there has ever been. I’ve never seen anything like it. “I have never seen this kind of hatred and aggression towards women.”
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