Entertainment
Graham Norton deletes Twitter account after cancel culture comments, leaving fans devastated-Emily Bashforth-Entertainment – Metro
Fans say he was ‘hounded’ off the site.
Fans have expressed their sadness, claiming Graham was ‘hounded’ off the site (Picture: Getty/Twitter)
It seems Graham Norton’s Twitter account is no more, leaving his supporters saddened.
The talkshow host looks to have deleted his account on Monday, with the page for his @grahnort profile reading ‘this account doesn’t exist’.
Graham’s name began trending on Twitter as a result, with fans questioning what resulted in the move and supporters expressing their sadness to see him leave.
Some speculated that Graham, 59, deleted his account after receiving backlash for comments he made regarding cancel culture, in which he eloquently stated it was more about ‘accountability.’
Also in the highly-praised interview with Times Radio, the Eurovision broadcaster was quizzed on author JK Rowling’s views on the transgender community, but Graham simply suggested speaking to actual trans people who have experience with such matters.
The BBC star received an outpouring of support for his remarks, with social media users hailing him ‘eloquent’ and ‘one of the good guys.’
The TV star was widely praised for his comments on cancel culture (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Alas, Graham also seems to have received trolling from those who disagreed with what he said, just days before his Twitter account disappeared.
One public figure who commended Graham for his comments was singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, who shared a clip and wrote: ‘Norton really good here on John Cleese, telling him that ‘cancel culture’ is just accountability, and JK Rowling, suggesting that the media talk directly to trans teens and their parents rather than merely amplifying the takes of a celebrity.’
Harry Potter author Rowling responded, however, firing back: ‘Very much enjoying the recent spate of bearded men stepping confidently onto their soapboxes to define what a woman is and throw their support behind rape and death threats to those who dare disagree. You may mock, but takes real bravery to come out as an Old Testament prophet.’
Graham’s Twitter account has disappeared (Picture: Twitter)
Continuing the exchange, a bewildered Billy responded to say Rowling’s tweet illustrates the point Graham was trying to make.
‘Hard to think of anything that better illustrates Graham Norton’s point than the sight of someone with 13.9m followers reacting to a call for a fair hearing for trans teens and their parents by equating it to *checks notes* support for rape and death threats,’ he penned.
Plenty of others have shown their support for Graham, upset and angry that ‘someone as kind, intelligent and gentle’ as the star could be ‘hounded’ off the site.
Journalist and trans activist India Willoughby noted that it is ‘desperately sad’ to see ‘lovely’ Graham ‘forced off Twitter.’
JK Rowling fired back in disagreement at Billy Bragg’s commandment of Graham (Picture: PA)
She recalled Graham’s statement (‘If you want to know about trans, talk to trans people and their families’) and questioned why such comments are considered ‘outrageous’ by Rowling and ‘the seething, frothing, maniacal, bigoted Gender Critical cult.’
‘So, Graham Norton’s Twitter account appears to have disappeared. What a world we live in when you can’t even say, “listen to the experts”, without being hounded off Twitter by vile, unhinged abuse,’ wrote another person.
A third tweeted: ‘Graham Norton could not have been less incendiary. A plea to listen to trans and nonbinary people rather than crowbar an opinion out of him for a clickable headline is entirely the correct stance. I find it very sad he’s been driven off twitter.’
To refresh your memory of Graham’s original remarks, while speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, he said ‘cancel’ culture is the ‘wrong word’.
‘I think the word should be “accountability”,’ he explained, proceeding to reference John Cleese who ‘has been very public recently about complaining about what you can’t say.’
‘It must be very hard to be a man of a certain age who’s been able to say whatever he likes for years, and now suddenly there’s some accountability.
‘It’s free speech, but not consequence-free. I’m aware of the things I say.’
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With regards to the trans community, Graham said that when he is asked about the topic, ‘I become part of this discussion.’
‘All I’m painfully aware of is that my voice adds nothing to that discussion and I’m embarrassed that I’m somehow drawn into it.’
He said people wanting to ‘shine a light on those issues’ should refer to experts, to trans people and the parents of trans children.
Reps for Graham Norton have been contacted for comment.
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