Jonathan Ross says he ‘admires and applauds’ Graham Linehan and his openly anti-trans views
Jonathan Ross tweeted in support of Graham Linehan (Getty/BBC)
The English TV host Jonathan Ross has revealed his true colours as he declares his support for Graham Linehan and his openly anti-trans views.
Linehan made headlines in recent months after he was condemned for comparing trans healthcare to Nazi experiments.
He has previously admitted that friends have turned their backs on him as a result of his anti-trans crusade and, on March 17, he tweeted: “Discovered another male celebrity mate trying to put pressure on people close to me to shut me up. It’s a f**king laugh, standing up for women, I tell you whut.”
Writing in response, Jonathan Ross aligned himself in support of Linehan, referring to those who support trans rights as “tragically ill-informed”.
“I struggle to understand the opinions of intelligent men I previously admired – Jon Ronson and Billy Bragg – that strike me as tragically ill-informed and depressingly self-aggrandising,” Ross wrote.
“I know you are paying a heavy price for this G, but I admire and applaud you.”
It’s not clear whether the “male celebrity mate” Lineham refers to is Jon Ronson, Billy Bragg or neither, but both men have expressed their support for trans rights.
In contrast, Ross, who’s best known best known for presenting Friday Night with Jonathan Ross in the 2000s, has had his fair share of controversies with the LGBT+ community.
Jonathan Ross at the Centrepoint: Ultimate Pub Quiz in 2015 (Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty)
He was accused of homophobia in 2009 when he said on his radio show: “If your son asks for a Hannah Montana MP3 player, then you might want to already think about putting him down for adoption in later life, when they settle down with their partner.”
Ofcom ruled that Ross did not breach the broadcasting code as it was “clearly presented as a joke”, but Stonewall criticised the ruling, saying: “The fact that a comment is light-hearted does not absolve it from perpetuating the stereotypes that lead to homophobic bullying.”
It seems Ross didn’t learn much from the experience as in 2012 he was forced to apologise after making a tasteless joke about an airline’s decision to hire transgender flight crew.
“They’re going to recruit more lady boys to be air stewards,” Ross said. “Unlike most airlines they are actually encouraging you to take a concealed weapon on board.”
PinkNews has contacted Jonathan Ross for comment.
