Graham Linehan has pulled no punches in his latest social media tirade against a former friend and colleague. This time, it's Ardal O'Hanlon who has found himself in the firing line.
The 60-year-old actor shot to fame as Father Dougal McGuire in Mr Linehan's beloved sitcom Father Ted, appearing in every episode during its three-year run in the late 1990s.
Following his appearance in the comedy, Mr O'Hanlon has gone on to enjoy an illustrious career on screen and stage, enjoying stints in the BBC's Death in Paradise and My Hero as well as stand-up tours.
Mr Linehan, meanwhile, went on to enjoy success as the mastermind behind other cult comedy classics, Black Books, The IT Crowd, and Motherland.
Ardal O'Hanlon and Graham Linehan used to share a close bond
|PA
However, in recent years, Mr Linehan has found himself effectively blacklisted by the mainstream media for speaking out in support of biological women's spaces.
His outspoken views have seen him "cancelled" by the masses, sparked an arrest at Heathrow Airport, and have also led to a number of high-profile spats with other familiar faces.
Just earlier this month, Mr Linehan locked horns with Only Connect presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell over the quiz show's contestant selection policy.
Over the weekend, Mr O'Hanlon was slammed by Mr Linehan after he gave an interview in which he claimed he "feels sorry" for the writer.
Graham Linehan has been a fierce critic of trans activism | PAIn a new column for The Times, Mr O'Hanlon was reflecting on his days working on Father Ted when he made the remark.
"I look back on that show very fondly. New people discover it all the time and repeat the catchphrases to me — I’m still offered quite a few cups of tea when I’m out and about," he explained.
"It was my first proper job in television and I pinch myself to think I was a part of TV history."
Turning his attention to Mr Linehan, specifically, Mr O'Hanlon wrote: "I still get on great with everyone, though I haven't seen much of the show's creator Graham Linehan and am baffled as to why he got involved in the culture wars.
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Mr Linehan has previously been accused of transphobia over his gender critical stance | GETTY
"I feel sorry for him; he's entitled to his opinions, but the way he presented them made it confrontational."
Mr O'Hanlon's comments have garnered quite the reaction from Mr Linehan's fans, as well as the man himself.
Responding to the actor's comments, Mr Linehan took to X to fire back. "Ardal O'Hanlon becomes the latest ex-colleague to smear me in the press," he began.
"I just called him and he apparently disagrees with me that women deserve single-sex spaces, fair sports etc. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news."
Ardal O'Hanlon starred in Father Ted
|BBC
He continued: "Of course when I pressed him, he said it was the 'way' I did things. Like Amelia Bulmore, another actor I never did anything but support--blaming me for my own harassment."
Mr Linehan's response continued his response in a series of posts, in the third of which he wrote: "He said 'I get asked about you all the time' so I told him what to say next time.
"'Of course women deserve single sex spaces, of course they deserve fair sports, of course children shouldn't be mutilated in gender clinics.'
"But of course @ardalsfolly will not say any of that," he added. "Too much of a coward to stand up for the women in his life, but happy to take shots at those of us who lost everything to do so."
But of course @ardalsfolly will not say any of that. Too much of a coward to stand up for the women in his life, but happy to take shots at those of us who lost everything to do so.
— Graham Linehan (@Glinner) November 16, 2025
When an X user reached out to Mr Linehan to suggest Mr O'Hanlon was "ungrateful", the comedy writer replied: "Yep. Made him famous, just like @BillBailey, who also stabbed me in the back."
Mr Bailey starred in the aforementioned Black Books opposite Dylan Moran and Tamsin Greig.