JK Rowling criticises David Tennant for allegedly calling feminists ‘little whinging f------’

JK Rowling has criticised David Tennant for allegedly calling women’s rights activists “little whinging f------” during a row over the trans debate.

The former Doctor Who star previously said he wished Kemi Badenoch would “shut up” for her stance on the matter. Mrs Badenoch has called to ban trans women from female lavatories and defend single-sex spaces.

He said he wished that the Business Secretary, who is considered a front-runner in a future Tory leadership contest, “did not exist any more” while collecting an accolade for being a celebrity ally at the British LGBT Awards honouring his support for the trans community.

It subsequently emerged that Tennant continued his criticism of women’s rights activists backstage and he is understood to have called them “a tiny bunch of little whinging f------ who’re on the wrong side of history and they’ll all go away soon”.

Responding to the actor’s comments, JK Rowling wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “This man is talking about rape survivors who want female-only care, the nurses currently suing their health trust for making them change in front of a man, girls and women losing sporting opportunities to males and female prisoners incarcerated with convicted sex offenders.”

Mrs Badenoch had accused Tennant of being a “rich, lefty, white male celebrity” after he attacked her even though she was the only black woman in the Government.

Writing on X, she said: “I will not shut up. I will not be silenced by men who prioritise applause from Stonewall over the safety of women and girls.

“A rich, lefty, white male celebrity so blinded by ideology he can’t see the optics of attacking the only black woman in government by calling publicly for my existence to end. Tennant is one of Labour’s celebrity supporters. This is an early example of what life will be like if they win.”

Mrs Badenoch also criticised Dawn Butler, the Labour candidate for Brent East, who said she agreed with Tennant.

Her thread continued: “Labour and their celebrity allies have no interest in stopping the conversion therapy of gay children who are told, ‘You’re not really gay, you’re just a different sex.’

“Kids are medicalised and sterilised as foolish celebrities and stupid Labour MPs cheer this on in their desperation to look cool.”

In the speech that ignited the row, Tennant said: “If I’m honest, I’m a little depressed by the fact that acknowledging that everyone has the right to be who they want to be and live their life how they want to live it as long as they’re not hurting anyone else should merit any kind of special award or special mention, because it’s common sense, isn’t it?

“It is human decency. We shouldn’t live in a world where that is worth remarking on. However, until we wake up and Kemi Badenoch doesn’t exist anymore – I don’t wish ill of her, I just wish her to shut up – whilst we do live in this world, I am honoured to receive this.”

The announcement of the winners on the British LGBT Awards website described Tennant as “one of the LGBTQ+ community’s most fierce allies and supporters”.