Comedian Katherine Ryan has spoken about the fallout from a joke she made about Victoria Beckham on the BBC's Have I Got News For You, which led to an apology and the removal of the quip from the broadcast.
The 43-year-old appeared on the panel show when she made a comment about the former Spice Girl. The BBC upheld a complaint about the joke after viewers described the language used as "gratuitously offensive," and the segment was cut from the episode that aired on November 7, 2025.
Joke and Reaction
During a discussion about a leaked email in which Victoria's husband David was alleged to have used the C-word, Ryan responded: "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."
Speaking to Heat magazine, Ryan said she hoped Beckham would see the remark as light-hearted. She said: "If Victoria had seen the broadcast, she would have known it was tongue-in-cheek. I never actually used the c-word – I was being cheeky while trying to wrap up a segment."
Direct Apology
Ryan added that Beckham contacted her directly to express her displeasure, prompting an immediate apology. "Victoria reached out to me as soon as it happened and said she was offended. I unreservedly apologised and said, 'I love you and I'm really sorry. This is just how I am and I certainly didn't mean to hurt any feelings'," Ryan said.
The comedian said that was the last contact she had from Beckham, and she expressed hope that the pair could "patch things up one day."
Instagram Statement
Ryan also addressed the incident on Instagram last month, writing: "I'm really sorry, sometimes the jokes don't land. At that time, though there is no defence, I was suffering from a condition called matrescence. I was in that building with a 10-day-old baby. Should I have left the house? This is gonna be a tough one for the feminists because I was a woman going to work but I did call another woman a C. Sometimes I forget that celebrities are not my friends."
Matrescence, a term coined by anthropologist Dana Raphael in the 1970s, describes the process of becoming a mother. Ryan had recently given birth to her fourth child when the episode aired.
Despite the clash, Ryan spoke warmly of Beckham, particularly regarding her son Brooklyn Beckham's social media allegations about his family earlier this year. Ryan said: "I hope that relationship heals, but I have always been Team Victoria."
