The BBC has claimed that Kelsey Grammer was prevented from talking about Donald Trump by a Paramount PR person during a radio interview this morning.
Grammer, who plays Frasier Crane in the recently rebooted sitcom, is a Republican and noted Trump supporter, but according to a journalist working for the corporation, the topic of the former president was swiftly shut down during a new interview.
While appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme , the actor was asked if he was still backing Trump. Journalist Justin Webb asked Grammer: “You mentioned Roseanne [Barr] early on who had a great comeback but also was a Trump supporter. You were a Trump supporter, I’m fascinated to know if you still are?”
In response, Grammer brusquely stated: “I am and I’ll let that be the end of it.”
Journalist Justin Webb has since claimed that he attempted to continue the conversation, something he said Grammer was “perfectly happy” to do. However, it’s been alleged that the PR team behind Frasier’s streaming home of Paramount+ prevented this.
Webb said on the morning show: “I have to say, actually, Kelsey Grammer himself was perfectly happy to go on talking about it. The Paramount+ PR people, less happy that he talked about it at some length.” He added: “They decided we’d had plenty of time for our interview.”
He continued, after his co-host sarcastically said Paramount+ would be “really thrilled” with his comments: “But I should stress that he was perfectly happy to talk about why he supports Donald Trump and still does in the forthcoming election.”
The Independent has contacted Paramount+ for comment.
In 2018, Grammer, who has previously caveated his comments about politics with the claim he’s not a “big government guy”, described Trump as a “brat”, but clarified that he didn’t “have a lot of problems” with the former president’s policies.
Grammer reprised the role of Frasier Crane for a reboot in October. The original NBC sitcom, which was a Cheers spin-off, ran for 11 seasons from 1993 to 2004.
Kelsey Grammer in ‘Frasier’— (NBC)
Talking about the reboot to The Independent, the actor said he considered the new batch of episodes “more of a third or fourth act”, and claimed they “may be funnier” than what’s come before.
Reviews of the new season have been mostly positive despite concern regarding the absence of his former co-star, David Hyde Pierce, who played Frasier’s brother Niles.
Joining him in the reboot is Only Fools and Horse actor Nicholas Lyndhurst, whom Grammer said “is arguably one of the great actors of the UK”.
The pair became close friends in 2019 after starring together in a production of Man of La Mancha at the London Coliseum.
