The IT Crowd Rift

Bridesmaids star Chris O’Dowd has shared his disappointment over The IT Crowd creator Graham Linehan’s diminished presence in the entertainment industry, following backlash over his views on transgender issues.

O’Dowd, who rose to fame playing Roy Trenneman in the cult Channel 4 sitcom, told The Times of London that he still receives a great deal of appreciation for the show, which ran from 2006 to 2013. Despite the controversy surrounding Linehan, O’Dowd remains in contact with him and regrets that the writer has been largely sidelined.

“I wish he was writing more, and I wish he was in the industry more. I think he's the best comedy writer I've worked with," O’Dowd said.

Linehan, a key figure behind classic British comedies like Father Ted and Motherland, has faced significant professional fallout after publicly expressing gender-critical beliefs. Once a highly influential voice in sitcom writing, he has since struggled to secure mainstream projects.

However, Linehan has not stepped away from comedy entirely. Last year, he revealed plans to develop a new show in the United States with Deuce Bigalow star Rob Schneider and satirist Andrew Doyle, a regular contributor to GB News. While details remain sparse, he clarified that the project would not be “anti-woke” comedy, arguing that such an approach is as limiting as the ideological movements it seeks to critique.

O’Dowd refrained from commenting on Linehan’s views directly but suggested that the way the media handles controversy often exacerbates divisions rather than fostering genuine discussion. His remarks reflect an ongoing debate in the entertainment world — where the balance between creative legacy and personal beliefs remains a contentious issue.