Canadian comedian Katherine Ryan, a fixture on the UK comedy scene for nearly two decades, has carved out a unique space with her unapologetic honesty and rejection of artifice. In a recent interview, the 42-year-old reflected on her journey from arriving in London "instantly poor" to becoming a celebrated stand-up and television star, all while raising her children, including her newborn baby Holland.
Challenging Conventions with Unfiltered Honesty
Ryan's brand of comedy has always defied expectations. When she first emerged on the UK's alternative comedy circuit around 2008, her refusal to downplay her looks or femininity was itself a provocation. She rejected the then-prevailing trend of self-deprecation, choosing instead to embrace glamour on stage. "If you went on stage in a glamorous outfit with your little push-up bra and heels, like, 'I think I'm stunning,' that would be seen as really off-putting, but I did it because that's what I liked," she recalls.
Her material tackled the contradictions of modern feminism with a breezy confidence. She offered audiences, particularly women, permission to be imperfect—to have had cosmetic procedures, to have made questionable romantic choices, and to be openly ambitious. "You can be a feminist and have a boob job and have been a bit of a slag for a while," she summarises, highlighting her mission to dissolve shame through humour.
From Single Mother to Stand-Up Success
Ryan's path to success was forged through sheer determination. After moving to London in 2008 with a boyfriend, she soon found herself a single mother to her daughter Violet, now 16. Diagnosed with lupus at 23, she had decided to try for a child early, a decision she views with the clarity of hindsight. Juggling motherhood with breaking into comedy, she would take Violet to gigs, unwavering in her belief that she had the talent to succeed. "I knew I had jokes," she states simply.
The comedy scene was rife with casual sexism, with male bookers and comperes often dismissive. Yet, Ryan thrived as the underdog. She won the Funny Women award in 2008, a significant early accolade. Her first Edinburgh Fringe hour in 2009 was critically panned, but it cemented her reputation for fearlessness. "I think people admired my balls from the start," she notes.
Money, Manifestation, and Refusing to Bullshit
A cornerstone of Ryan's persona is her frankness about finances, a topic often shrouded in secrecy in the entertainment world. "I love money. I also think it's provocative to talk about that," she declares. This attitude even influenced her Netflix show, The Duchess, where she fought for the lead character to display visible wealth, much like her own life.
She attributes her career trajectory to a powerful sense of self-belief, fuelled by her responsibility as a mother. "Armed with the knowledge that my daughter deserved a really great life... I would walk into those rooms completely believing that I deserved to be there," she explains. This philosophy extends to her current work, like co-hosting the Comedy Central panel show Out of Order with Rosie Jones, which she sees as vital for platforming diverse voices.
For Ryan, the core of comedy is authenticity. "The real provocation is just demanding that people stop bullshitting themselves and each other," she concludes, defining the mission that has made her one of the UK's most distinctive and successful comedians.
