Graham Norton

It is "desperately sad" that Graham Norton has deleted his Twitter account after a backlash from his comments in favour of transgender rights, ...

Asked about so-called 'cancel culture' and JK Rowling at Cheltenham Literary Festival, Mr Norton, 59, said: “When I’m asked about it, I become a part of it. It’s for clicks… It is "desperately sad" that Graham Norton has deleted his Twitter account after a backlash from his comments in favour of transgender rights, the UK's first trans newsreader has said.

On Monday, Twitter users noticed the comedian and broadcaster's account had disappeared after he was asked about JK Rowling.

It’s for clicks… “I’m very aware that, as a bloke on the telly, your voice can be artificially amplified, and once in a blue moon, that can be good, but most of the time, it’s just a distraction. Responding, Norton said: “Talk to trans people, talk the parents of trans kids, talk to doctors, talk to psychiatrists, to someone who can illuminate this in some way.

Graham Norton has deleted his Twitter account following comments about cancel culture and author J.K. Rowling.

“I’m very aware as ‘bloke off the telly’, your voice can be artificially amplified. I’m sort of embarrassed that I’m somehow drawn into it. One of the most sensible takes on ‘cancel culture’ I’ve seen. “All I’m painfully aware of is that my voice adds nothing to that discussion. I think the word is the wrong word. I think the word should be ‘accountability’.”

Graham Norton has been "hounded off Twitter" after he suggested that we should listen to trans people, not cis celebrities, on trans rights.

He expressed no view. He attacked no one. [October 17, 2022] You may mock, but takes real bravery to come out as an Old Testament prophet. [October 13, 2022] Author Sarah Gibbs added: “Graham Norton’s comments were *so* mild that I was initially critical, thinking he could have done more and he still got hounded off of Twitter – for saying people should listen to trans people on trans issues.

The TV presenter was speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on Tuesday (11 October), when he said that he felt the word “cancellation” should be ...

If you want to talk about something, talk about the thing. That’ll teach him for saying cancel culture isn’t real!’” [Terms of use,](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/user-policies-a6184151.html) [Cookie policy](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/cookie-policy-a6184186.html) and [Privacy notice.](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/privacy-policy-a6184181.html) Talk to psychiatrists. [Privacy policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en) and [Terms of service](https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en) apply. Talk to doctors. Can we rustle up some f***ing experts and talk to them.” You don’t need to attach a Kardashian to a serious subject. I think the word is the wrong word. I think the word should be ‘accountability’.” Talk to someone who can illuminate this in some way. Talk to the parents of trans kids.

Since Graham Norton was forced off Twitter following his comments about listening to experts on trans issues, he has received huge support.

[October 17, 2022] [Another added](https://twitter.com/GameOverRos/status/1582009283599732737?s=20&t=MYGVBjFBfzc_JhzLW1058A): “His comments were not controversial in any way. [October 17, 2022] They were very, very non-confrontational. I was taught bullying was wrong. [October 17, 2022] [#IStandWithGrahamNorton] [#IStandWithGrahamNorton] I fail to see the controversy here. You may mock, but takes real bravery to come out as an Old Testament prophet. [throwing] their support behind rape and death threats to those who dare disagree”. [October 18, 2022] [October 13, 2022] [#IStandWithGrahamNorton](https://twitter.com/hashtag/IStandWithGrahamNorton?src=hashtag_click) has emerged.

JK Rowling was quick to respond to Graham's remarks, despite him not having mentioned her by name.

[RuPaul’s Drag Race UK](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/rupauls-drag-race/) judge did not reference Rowling in his “cancel culture” comments, he did recently defend having interviewed her on his Virgin Radio show. “If people want to shine a light on those issues, and I hope people do, then talk to trans people. “I’m very aware that as ‘bloke off the telly’, your voice can be artificially amplified… “Please can we have some experts? “I think the word should be ‘accountability’. [In an interview with The Times](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/graham-norton-defends-interviewing-jk-rowling-on-virgin-radio-show_uk_63298bebe4b0bfdf5e19edd6) [ last month](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/graham-norton-defends-interviewing-jk-rowling-on-virgin-radio-show_uk_63298bebe4b0bfdf5e19edd6), Graham insisted it “feels wrong” to him not to interview someone just because he disagrees with their views. And I’m sort of embarrassed that I’m somehow drawn into it. once in a blue moon that can be good, but most of the time it’s just a distraction. [received a wave of support online](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/graham-norton-john-cleese-cancel-culture_uk_63468dffe4b04cf8f37372bb), with many praising the way he summed up the debate around “cancel culture”, particularly with relation to sensitive issues. “John Cleese has been very public recently, complaining about what you can’t say. “If you want to talk about something, talk about the thing, you don’t need to attach a Kardashian to a serious subject, the subject should be enough in itself,” he added. [Graham Norton](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/graham-norton/) appears to have removed his Twitter account after [his recent comments about so-called “cancel culture” went viral](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/graham-norton-john-cleese-cancel-culture_uk_63468dffe4b04cf8f37372bb).

The BBC presenter spoke about the term in relation to the announcement that comedian John Cleese will be a host on GB News, in a role where he plans to air ...

You can’t just say ‘Oh I’m a comedian, I say what I like, if you don’t like it you’re just part of woke/cancel culture’.” Helen Davies said she felt that “the world has gone completely insane”, adding: "It’s comedy. Half the stuff from Monty Python wouldn't be allowed and probably Fawlty Towers as well today. I think the word is the wrong word. I think the word should be ‘accountability’. The Monty Python star said: “There’s a massive amount of important information that gets censored, both in TV and in the press.

The comedian was asked about the Harry Potter author's views at an event at the Cheltenham Literature Festival earlier in October.

On Monday (18 October), Twitter users noticed Graham Norton had deleted his Twitter account. [Rowling herself entered the fray ](https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1580609449105891329)by attacking comments made by the singer Billy Bragg in defence of Graham Norton. All I’m painfully aware of is my voice adds nothing to that discussion and I’m embarrassed I’m somehow drawn into it. She argued this situation seemed to be about something “more” than the reaction to what John Cleese has previously said, given JK Rowling is a woman. Describing Cleese as “an easy target” given he is a middle-aged man, Frostrup attempted to draw equivalence with the treatment of JK Rowling. [JK Rowling’s views](/culture/what-terf-meaning-explained-where-it-came-from-jk-rowling-one-3651482) at a Cheltenham Literature Festival event on 11 October.

So Graham Norton has been held to account. That's what he'd call it, right? He's left Twitter, apparently after getting a load of flak for comments on the ...

And find Brendan on Instagram: [@burntoakboy](https://www.instagram.com/burntoakboy/) [John Cleese](spiked-online.com/2022/10/12/why-is-graham-norton-defending-cancel-culture/) has said, too – Cleese being one of the men ‘of a certain age’ that Norton alluded to in his cancel-culture chat at Cheltenham. Watching woke types who go on and on about fatphobia and [classism](https://www.spiked-online.com/tag/class/) (which they don’t actually care about) rushing to Norton’s defence is interesting, is it not? [social media](https://www.spiked-online.com/tag/social-media/), Mr Norton. [celebs](https://www.spiked-online.com/tag/celebrity/) are fine with cancel culture because they know it is primarily aimed at people with supposedly ‘unfashionable’ views – like, erm, that people with penises are men – whereas they hold ‘fashionable’ views only, all the correct-think, and thus they’re safe. Subscribe to the podcast [here](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-brendan-oneil-show/id1436524071). [Free speech](https://www.spiked-online.com/topic/free-speech/) has consequences, as he himself would say, and in this case the consequence has allegedly been a ‘barrage of abuse’ so intense that Norton felt he had to flounce off Twitter. You don’t need to be an expert to know that someone with a cock is a man and shouldn’t be in women-only spaces. He was subjected to a ‘ [barrage of abuse](https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2022/10/17/graham-norton-twitter-trans-rights-jk-rowling/)’, says Pink News. Will he agree that it’s not very nice to bombard men of a certain age with such censure and opprobrium that they decide just to shut their gobs for the sake of the quiet life? The most striking thing in that Norton / Frostrup exchange is what Norton didn’t say. [hounded off Twitter](https://metro.co.uk/2022/10/17/graham-norton-deletes-twitter-account-after-cancel-culture-comments-17579187/)’, they say.