Host of TalkTV was subject to personal abuse after an interview with Graham Linehan, who expressed anti-trans views, was removed.

Talk TV host Rosanna Lockwood has issued a statement addressing the removal of Graham Linehan's 'car crash' interview from the network's Wednesday night show. Linehan, the creator of The IT Crowd, made several anti-trans comments that prompted Rosanna to interject.

The interview was not repeated on the Thursday night Uncensored show and is currently unavailable to stream on YouTube. Rosanna has now gone on record to explain why the interview was not repeated, and to also shed light on the personal abuse she has faced since the broadcast.

"It went out live but we aren't repeating it. And that's not because of censorship, not because we are seeking to deplatform anyone," Rosanna began. "One of the reasons for TalkTV's existence is to hear from all sides of the argument, we don't hide from sensitive topics, we believe in free speech, we relish robust debate."

Rosanna went on to explain that while the network promotes free speech and robust debate, it also has to stay within the parameters of "tried and trusted principles around broadcasting."

"I have also received a great deal of personal abuse across social media over the past 24 hours so there's a few things I'd like to make clear," she said. "I'm a journalist, but of course I have my own deeply felt personal views, and they don't necessarily chime with everyone I interview, or even everyone I work with here at TalkTV, just ask Piers [Morgan] or pretty much anyone else. But no one here has ever tried to influence the way I work. No one has tried to censor my thoughts or my beliefs, in fact, they've only given me free reign to be who I am: Uncensored, if you will."

Rosanna concluded her statement by calling on people to keep discussing the important issues, but to do so in a civilised manner.

"Let's keep discussing these issues big or small, that really matter to the world, but for pity's sake let's keep it civilised," she said.

The news comes after Linehan's Comedy Unleashed show was axed by the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and he threatened to take legal action against the venue. Last year, he was also banned from Twitter for violating its hateful conduct rules with comments about trans people.

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