Katherine Ryan has made David Beckham the subject of her stand-up material, two weeks after apologising for a joke about his wife Victoria that prompted a BBC complaint.
Performing at a gig in Chelsea, London, the 43-year-old comedian reportedly referenced the BBC scandal while on stage, joking that she had been 'cancelled' by the broadcaster.
Joke about the 'K-word'
According to quotes obtained by The Sun, Ryan told the audience: 'I have been cancelled by the BBC for allegedly calling Victoria Beckham the C-word.' She added: 'Or as David Beckham knows it – the K-word, because bless him, the alphabet is hard.'
The remark drew laughter from the crowd, after which Ryan professed her admiration for Victoria Beckham, stating: 'But I actually did not do that. I actually love Victoria Beckham.'
Context of the original joke
The original joke was made during an episode of Have I Got News for You that aired on November 7 last year, when Ryan mentioned David Beckham's leaked emails from 2013, in which he allegedly used the C-word after being snubbed for a knighthood.
The emails, hacked and leaked in 2017, included comments to PR Simon Oliveira, labelling the honours committee 'unappreciative' and a 'bunch of c***s'. At the time, the Beckham camp responded by saying the emails were heavily doctored and that the private messages were stolen.
On the show, Ryan said: 'I don't know that we are allowed to broadcast the C-word, but you did reference Victoria Beckham earlier, and we'll allow that.' After an audible response from the studio audience, she added: 'I like her really; I didn't expect that reaction.'
BBC ruling and apology
Fellow comedian Maisie Adam also used the swear word in reference to the incident, but hers was deemed justifiable on editorial grounds, while Ryan's was not. The BBC's Executive Complaints Unit ruled: 'There was no such justification for a comment which presented Victoria Beckham as equivalent to a particularly offensive word.'
Following viewer backlash and an internal investigation, an edited version of the episode was added to BBC iPlayer. Ryan issued a statement last month in an Instagram video, saying she was 'very sorry' and explaining she had been suffering from a condition called matrescence at the time, having recently given birth to her fourth child.
Neither Victoria nor David Beckham publicly acknowledged the matter, but after Ryan's apology was posted, Victoria shared a snap of a giant bouquet gifted by her husband, writing 'I love you @davidbeckham' on her Instagram Story.
Representatives for David and Victoria Beckham have been contacted for comment.
