Piers Morgan Uncensored – “Should Be Charlie Kirk!” Time Person Of the Year, Strongwoman Controversy & Best Comedies Ever

Release Date: November 28, 2025
Host: Piers Morgan
Panelists: Will Jordan (The Critical Drinker), Gary “Nerdrotic” Buechler, Jillian Michaels, Dr. Anastasia Gabriel, Graham Linehan

Episode Overview

This episode dives into three main areas:

• The controversy over a transgender athlete winning the World’s Strongest Woman competition
• The debate over “wokeness” and its death, particularly in the context of entertainment
• The legitimacy of Variety magazine's list of “100 Greatest Comedies of All Time”
  Additional topics include Wicked’s influence, the meaning of Time’s Person of the Year, and the evolving mythology of Thanksgiving.

Throughout, the panel's conversation is sharp, opinionated, and often combative—exemplifying Piers's “Uncensored” approach.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The World’s Strongest Woman Transgender Athlete Controversy

[03:00–13:16]

• Context:
  A transgender woman, Jammy Booker, won the title of World’s Strongest Woman but was later stripped of the title when it emerged she was biologically male.

• Piers Morgan’s Take:
  Uses the incident to claim that “woke is dead,” citing quick public backlash and official correction.

  "This is why I believe wokeism is actually dead. Not everyone’s got the memo yet, but the public tolerance… is disintegrating." (03:39)

• Jillian Michaels:
  Glad for the correction, but argues “wokeness” persists:

  "Fairness in sports is essential. But I completely disagree with you about Woke being dead, Piers, I’m seeing craziness abound everywhere." (04:06)

• Dr. Anastasia Gabriel:
  Pushes back, questioning what “woke” really means and cautions against rhetoric that leads to harassment:

  "What worries me the most is the kind of abuse and harassment that oftentimes emerges in these moments..." (05:18)
  Refuses to comment on specifics without familiarity but insists on focusing on the larger issues around inclusivity and respect.

• Debate on Sport & Gender:
  Piers repeatedly asks Gabriel whether she would support gender-neutral Olympics, ultimately extracting a reluctant admission about athletic differences:

  Piers: "Why do we separate the sexes in the Olympics?"
  Dr. Gabriel: "…there are different athletic abilities." (07:07–07:12)
  Piers: "Ah. Bingo. So you know it’s unfair." (07:13)

• Jillian Michaels:
  Asserts that biology is the critical factor and blurring these facts harms society’s ability to work through real issues:

  “When you mess around with fundamental truths like XY chromosome and XX chromosome, it is crippling to a society…” (08:48)

• Graham Linehan:
  Emphasizes a pattern going back a decade, mentioning Laurel Hubbard as another example, and labels the practice as "ridiculous" and "insane" (13:38–13:43).

2. Graham Linehan’s Legal Victory & the Costs of Speaking Out

[09:17–12:59]

• Background:
  Graham Linehan was acquitted of harassment after a legal dispute involving online commentary about a teenage trans activist.

• Linehan’s Perspective:
  Explains long-term targeting and harassment, the loss of professional and personal stability, and frustration at lack of support from peers.

  “If ever I’m rude or angry or express myself forcefully, it’s simply because I’m just disgusted by my colleagues who have watched me go through all this without a word of support.” (11:53)

• Piers Morgan:
  Suggests Linehan’s rhetoric may occasionally detract from his cause, and asks if he’d tone it down in hindsight.

3. Variety’s “100 Greatest Comedies of All Time” List

[13:43–22:02]

• Top 3:

  1. Naked Gun
  2. Some Like It Hot
  3. Annie Hall

• Panel Reactions:

  • Piers:
    Outraged that films like Anchorman and The Campaign didn't place higher.

    “Anchorman is not in the top three… not only the greatest anti woke movie ever made, but also howlingly funny” (14:08)

  • Nerdrotic (Gary Buechler):
    Laments the omission of films like Monty Python’s Holy Grail, Ghostbusters, Blues Brothers, and especially Tropic Thunder.

    "Any list that doesn't have Tropic Thunder… is a mad, mad, mad, Mad World" (15:08)

  • The Critical Drinker (Will Jordan):
    Upset that the Cornetto Trilogy was left off, suggests Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End should have ranked.

    “I’m really incensed that the Cornetto trilogy wasn't there…” (16:11)

  • Graham Linehan:
    Picks “The Heartbreak Kid” as a favorite. Praises “Naked Gun” for Leslie Nielsen’s deadpan acting.

  • Discussion on Offensive Comedy:
    Panel notes that great comedies often push boundaries—citing “Blazing Saddles,” Father Ted, and Tropic Thunder.

    "…possibly the last balls out comedy to have been made.” (Graham Linehan, 17:59)

  • Dr. Anastasia Gabriel:
    Reiterates comedy is not her genre, drawing joking criticism from Piers and the others, who link lack of comedic taste to being “woke.”

    "It’s not my genre of choice. I’m learning." (18:55)

• British vs. American Comedy:

  • Nerdrotic:
    "British comedy 100%. I grew up on it. Fawlty Towers. Monty Python. Reading Douglas Adams." (21:32)
  • Linehan:
    Appreciates American comedy, citing “I Think You Should Leave.”

4. Wicked’s Hollywood Box Office and the Rewriting of Classics

[22:48–30:58]

• Piers’s Rundown:
  Outlines drastic plot changes in “Wicked” and notes the generational appeal to “patriarchy bashing.”

• Gary Buechler:
  Sees the movie as symptomatic of “fan fiction” subversions in Hollywood, suggesting Wicked paved the way for identity-focused reworkings of classics.

  “Wicked is a movie for gay men and women… you can make those, just stop making Star Wars Wicked or Marvel Wicked.” (24:16)

• Critical Drinker:
  Mocks the “non demi curious semi binary relationship” between the stars as a symbol of Hollywood’s otherness:

  "Oh man, it’s Hollywood. I mean it's not real life and these are not real human beings in the normal sense. Like they do not face the challenges that regular humans do." (27:33)

• Dr. Gabriel:
  Insists the stars are still “real human beings” and regards much of the public and online response as dehumanizing.

  "…precisely because we don’t see these women as real human beings that they've been receiving just loads of abuse and harassment and mockery online." (28:32)

• Jillian Michaels:
  Offers a psychological take, referencing the backgrounds of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo and suggesting the visible dynamic may be “trauma bonding.” (30:58)

5. TIME’s Person of the Year: Who Should Win?

[31:37–36:13]

• Nominee Predictions:
  AI, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Pope Leo, Donald Trump, Zoram Mamdani, Charlie Kirk.

• Panel Choices:

  • Graham Linehan & Nerdrotic:
    Argue for Charlie Kirk, citing cultural impact and the intense reaction to his death.

    "I think Charlie Kirk paid the ultimate price for, you know, using his freedom of speech… I think he was a wonderful man and he died because he trusted people too much." (Graham Linehan, 32:48)

  • Critical Drinker:
    Suggests Sydney Sweeney “defeating Wokeism in Hollywood” as an influential figure, in a tongue-in-cheek response.

  • Jillian Michaels:
    Supports Kirk but worries about nominating AI as “Person” of the Year, warning about the trend of redefining concepts like personhood.

  • Dr. Anastasia Gabriel:
    Argues impact, not sentiment, should determine the winner. Supports AI as the most transformative force of the year.

    "…AI is actually a sound idea… it has affected … our daily lives." (35:21)

  • Piers:
    Argues for Trump’s lasting news dominance, sees Kirk as “a very laudable candidate,” but expects AI could win based on prediction markets.

6. The Mythology and Meaning of Thanksgiving

[37:04–40:32]

• Nerdrotic Recap:
  Offers a tongue-in-cheek history—“You guys came over and conquered the United States and had a little lunch…” (37:06)

• Gratitude & Debate:

  • Jillian Michaels:
    Cites its origin as a moment of unity, emphasizes positivity in coming together.

    “I think we should celebrate coming together as a nation, as well as our family, our friends, and everything beautiful…” (38:03)

  • Dr. Gabriel:
    Warns against mythologizing history and glossing over the genocide of indigenous people, calls for greater acknowledgment of these truths.

    “…Thanksgiving is a kind of American mythology that has oftentimes used this idea of unity to actually overlook… the genocide of indigenous people.” (38:59)

  • Panel’s Friction:
    Piers, returning to humor, accuses Dr. Gabriel of being the “habitual party pooper.” She corrects his pronunciation, “It’s Dr. Anastasia, Anastasia. Thank you.” (40:29)

  • Graham Linehan:
    Expresses gratitude for America after feeling disillusioned with the UK.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Trans Winners in Women's Sports:
  “When you mess around with fundamental truths like XY and XX chromosome, it is crippling to a society because we cannot solve problems when we can’t agree on what’s real and what isn’t.”
  — Jillian Michaels [08:48]

• On “Woke is Dead”:
  “This is why I believe wokeism is actually dead… the public tolerance of it is disintegrating.”
  — Piers Morgan [03:39]

• On Excluding Certain Films from Comedy Lists:
  “Any list that doesn't have Tropic Thunder… is a mad, mad, mad, Mad World”
  — Nerdrotic [15:08]

• On Being Perceived as Humorless:
  "It's not my genre of choice. I'm learning."
  — Dr. Anastasia Gabriel [18:55]
  To which Piers jibes: “You just proved the point… it’s what I mean about the woke brigade. You don’t like laughing…”

• On Thanksgiving’s History:
  “Thanksgiving is a kind of American mythology that has oftentimes used this idea of unity to actually overlook… the genocide of indigenous people.”
  — Dr. Anastasia Gabriel [38:59]

• On Online Harassment & Support:
  “If ever I’m rude or angry or express myself forcefully, it’s simply because I’m just disgusted by my colleagues who have watched me go through all this without a word of support.”
  — Graham Linehan [11:53]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Strongwoman Transgender Controversy: [03:00–13:16]
• Graham Linehan's Legal Victory, Harassment, Loss of Career: [09:17–12:59]
• Variety's Best Comedies List Debate: [13:43–22:02]
• British vs. American Comedy: [21:32–22:29]
• Wicked & Modern Entertainment Trends: [22:48–30:58]
• Time Person of the Year Debate: [31:37–36:13]
• Thanksgiving, Myth and Meaning: [37:04–40:32]

Tone and Style

• Spirited, sharply opinionated, and combative; Piers constantly challenges panelists, especially those perceived as contrarian or “woke.”
• Humor is dry, often sarcastic, with frequent jabs from all sides.
• The show flows quickly between heavy cultural debate and comic relief, highlighting generational, cultural, and ideological divides.

Summary Takeaways

• The “death of woke” is declared by some, roundly disputed by others; the split exposes ongoing societal tension.
• Sports fairness and gender identity remain flashpoints, with little consensus found on the panel.
• Classic and contemporary comedy is a microcosm for the cultural and political “wokeness” debate, with nostalgia for boundary-pushing humor.
• Traditional holidays and their myths are ripe for re-examination in light of historical truths, though most panelists still value unity and gratitude.
• The Person of the Year should recognize greatest impact, not popularity—whether that’s Charlie Kirk (for his death and the resulting polarizing aftermath), AI (for reshaping every aspect of life), or Trump (for news dominance) is debated without resolution.

This episode is a perfect capsule of relentless, passionate free speech, discomfort with changing cultural tides, and the persistence of sharp wit—even as the lines between serious debate and satire blur.