Sitcom creator on 'how it feels to lose everything’

Graham Linehan has written a book about how he has ‘lost everything’ in his battles against those campaigning for transgender rights.

The publisher of Tough Crowd: How I Made And Lost A Career In Comedy said ‘we’re confident that many of Graham’s critics will be very pleasantly surprised’ by the memoirs.

If will be released in less than a month – October 12 – with Dan Hiscocks telling trade magazine The Bookseller: ‘We’ve deliberately not announced this project until the book was at the printer’s because we wanted people to be able to judge it on its own terms, based on what it actually says, rather than to make snap judgements based purely on speculation.’

He also said his independent company would be able to meet demand itself if bookstores refused to stock the title.

The publisher described the memoir as ‘emotionally charged’ and ‘by turns hilarious and harrowing’.

Those giving quotes in support of the book include Richard Ayoade, star of Linehan’s sitcom The IT Crowd, who said: Graham Linehan has long been one of my favourite writers - and this book shows that his brilliance in prose is the equal to his brilliance as a screenwriter. It unfolds with the urgency of a Sam Fuller film: that of a man who has been through something that few have experienced but has managed to return, undaunted, to tell us the tale.’

Jonathan Ross said: ‘One of the best TV comedy writers of all time delivers a book which is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered: a) how to create a hit sit-com and b) how it feels to lose everything. It's funny, complicated and utterly compelling.’

Comic Simon Evans said: ’This book is great company, and reminds us that Graham is first and foremost a writer, and a very funny one indeed. It is a not inconsiderable relief, in fact, to see that he has not lost the gift’

And Andrew Doyle, the comic and GB News host, called it ‘one of the most compelling and unflinchingly honest memoirs I've read in many years. It's also the funniest’

Linehan has been making a comeback through stand-up via Doyle’s Comedy Unleashed nights. 

To coincide with last month’s Edinburgh Fringe, the promoters booked the Father Ted co-creator to play a LGBT-friendly venue in the Scottish capital without revealing his identity to the owners– attracting headlines when the gig was subsequently pulled. Linehan ended up performing in the street outside the Scottish Parliament to supporters and the media.

Writing in the Telegraph last month, following his Edinburgh performance, Linehan admitted of his performance: ‘As a protest, it worked great. But as comedy, meh. And I am so very tired of protesting, and I miss comedy so very much.’

The blurb for Tough Crowd says: ‘One of the best TV comedy writers of all time delivers a book which is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered: a) how to create a hit sitcom and b) how it feels to lose everything’.

It also says he will take aim at the comedy industry for abandoning him over his views, saying: ‘He also berates an industry where there was no one to stand by his side when he needed help. Bruised but not beaten, he explains why he chose the hill of women and girls' rights to die on - and why, despite the hardship of cancellation, he's not coming down from it any time soon.’

Linehan is currently defending legal action from LGBT advocate’ David Paisley claiming libel and harassment – and has raised more than £110,000 from supporters to help fight his case.

Published: 14 Sep 2023