The Father Ted co-creator praised the Dragon’s Den star’s honesty after she reversed her stance following a wave of cancel culture testimonies

Graham Linehan has weighed in on Deborah Meaden’s recent “cancel culture” U-turn, after the Dragons’ Den star publicly conceded she had been “tunnel-visioned” when questioning whether people in the UK had really lost jobs or livelihoods for expressing lawful views.

The intervention from Mr Linehan came after GB News reported on Ms Meaden’s shift in stance, following a torrent of personal testimonies shared with her on X by those who say they have been cancelled, sidelined or professionally ruined for speaking out.

Responding to a GB News’ post on X which read: “Deborah Meaden admits ‘I was tunnel-visioned’ over cancel culture denial row as BBC Dragons’ Den star makes free speech U-turn”, the Father Ted co-creator offered brief praise, writing: “Good for her to admit it.”

The comment carried particular weight given Mr Linehan’s own high-profile fall from mainstream television and theatre, after he spoke publicly about transgender ideology and women’s rights, a stance that he and his supporters argue led to his professional ostracism and a loss of work.

Deborah Meaden publicly changed her mind on cancel culture

Mr Linehan later expanded on his thoughts by replying to a longer post from writer Janet Murray, who had commended Ms Meaden for listening and urged her to use her influence to support those harmed by cancel culture, particularly the self-employed.

Ms Murray wrote that while employees may at least have access to HR processes or employment tribunals, freelancers and independents often see their income disappear overnight, with little recourse when reputations are damaged.

“Free speech is not the freedom to destroy someone’s reputation through misrepresentation and untruths,” Ms Murray argued, adding that libel law remains “a rich person’s game” beyond the reach of many who are targeted.

In response, Mr Linehan posed a sharper question about media responsibility, asking: “But another question is why did Deborah Meaden not know any of these stories? Why has UK media not been properly informing her?”

Graham Linehan praised Ms Meaden on X

The remark prompted further debate online, with some users agreeing that stories of cancellation and professional exile are underreported, while others defended Ms Meaden personally.

Several replies beneath Mr Linehan’s post struck a conciliatory tone. One user wrote: “I’ve met Deborah, shared a slice of cake and a cuppa with her, and talked about nature and birds… she’s a lovely woman and very fair, it’s no surprise to me for her to admit she was mistaken.”

Another added: “She’s handled it quite elegantly, I thought. Remarkable!” Others echoed similar sentiments, including: “Yes, at least she’s honourable enough to admit it.”

However, others questioned why Ms Meaden appeared to hold sceptical views on cancel culture in the first place.

“It is unbelievable how apparently intelligent people recite the propaganda,” one X user wrote, while another claimed: “She knew — she just chose to ignore it. It doesn’t fit the narrative.”

A third commenter drew comparisons with politicians, writing: “Similarly, the shadow energy secretary didn’t know anything about the green scam, grid balancing or expensive wind contractors. Once they were out of power, they had time to look at the whole picture rather than just taking soundbites from spin.”

Another user accused sections of the media of enforcing ideological conformity, saying: “The media has been told to follow a narrative. Transgender equals good, any opposition equals bad. The fact they openly follow this and censor stories that don’t fit is an indictment of their honesty and transparency.”

A further post suggested large swathes of information never reach the public, adding: “90 per cent of what happens in the world never gets a mention in the media. In the case of the Guardian and the BBC, it’s more like 99 per cent.”

Ms Meaden’s comments came after she initially challenged GB News regular Adam Brooks to provide examples of people being “cancelled, sacked or arrested” for their views, a question that triggered hundreds of replies detailing lost jobs, cancelled contracts and reputational damage.

After reviewing the responses, the 66-year-old businesswoman acknowledged she had framed her question poorly and had focused too narrowly on concerns about hate speech being justified under the banner of free expression.

Graham Linehan has previously spoken out on his experience of being ‘cancelled’ for his views

“I can see there are some horror stories,” Ms Meaden wrote, adding that while she remains opposed to hate speech, the examples shared with her contained “some very damning information”.

Her public reassessment was welcomed by several high-profile figures, including former Olympian Sharron Davies, who thanked Ms Meaden for listening and engaging with experiences outside her own.