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Katherine Louisa Ryan (born June 1983) is a Canadian comedian, writer, presenter, actress and singer. She has appeared on British TV and radio , including 8 Out of 10 Cats, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, A League of Their Own, Mock the Week, Would I Lie to You?, QI, Just a Minute, Safeword, and Have I Got News for You. In 2015 she replaced Steve Jones as the presenter of Hair on BBC Two. As an actress, Ryan has appeared on several television sitcoms in the UK, including Campus, Episodes, and her Netflix show The Duchess.
As a stand-up comedy, Ryan has appeared on the BBC's Live at the Apollo, both as a featured act and as a lead act. She has had two live stand-up specials released on Netflix: Katherine Ryan: In Trouble (2017) and (2019).
Ryan's parents separated when she was a teenager. When she was 18, she chose to study city planning at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) in Toronto. While attending university, she worked at restaurant chain Hooters, and she then began training other waitresses. In her spare time she performed at open mic nights for her own entertainment, and by graduation she had developed a basic comedy routine. She was one of the many dancers in MuchMusic's Electric Circus program.
After graduation, Ryan continued working for Hooters as a corporate trainer, travelling around Canada to train other waitresses, and helping to open the then-only UK branch in Nottingham. Her partner at the time, Wade McElwain, wanted to explore London,Colin Hunter, "Standup comedian Wade McElwain, a New Dundee native, loves open-mike shows. 'It's like war," he says. "You have to take bullets, keep fighting to survive.' And survive he does". Waterloo Region Record, 22 December 2007. so she agreed to do so for an initial month from summer 2007, moving there permanently from January 2008.
Ryan first appeared on television as herself in episodes of the Canadian music video review show Video on Trial between season one in 2005 and her last appearance in 2008 in season three. For her comedy work, she won the 2008 Funny Women and was described as "the funniest new female stand up in Britain" by a national newspaper. After relocating to the United Kingdom, she first appeared on Channel 4's 8 Out of 10 Cats in 2012. She had previously appeared in the cast of Channel 4's Campus.
On 23 February 2013, she appeared as a celebrity contestant on BBC One's Let's Dance for Comic Relief as Nicki Minaj dancing to "Starships". Ryan reached the final, and finished in fourth place. She was later featured on the Whitney Cummings Just for Laughs 2013 Gala that was taped before a live audience on 28 July 2013. She has since taken new routines to the Edinburgh Festival. In 2013, Ryan was the subject of controversy over her participation on Mock the Week in the segment "Unlikely Lines From a Cosmetics Commercial", where one of her jokes was "We don't test any of our products on animals. We use Filipino children." Filipino groups held silent protests at the BBC office to demand an apology from her.
In 2015, Ryan replaced Steve Jones as the presenter of Hair on BBC Two. Also in 2015, Ryan became a panellist for Tinie Tempah's team on Sky 1's music/comedy panel show Bring the Noise and on the ITV2 show, Safeword. In 2016, Ryan appeared on series 2 of Taskmaster. She beat Doc Brown, Joe Wilkinson, Richard Osman and Jon Richardson, to win the season.
Ryan went on a comedy tour in 2016, called Kathbum, a name her toddler sister used to call her. In February 2017, Netflix released Katherine Ryan: In Trouble, featuring her stand-up comedy live performance at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, during that tour.
She joined Jimmy Carr in 2017 to host four series of the reboot of Your Face or Mine?. In 2018, Ryan joined American comedy panel show, The Fix as a team captain. In July 2019, Netflix released her second live stand-up special, . In a 2021 interview, she was accused of racism by some viewers on social media when she attempted to encourage a female Sri Lankan designer by saying "You need to really back yourself. Do you know how confident a straight white man would be right now? Think about Boris Johnson, how pleased he'd be right now." The BBC responded that such a comment was in line with reasonable expectations of Ryan's humour. In February 2023, Ryan won the Outstanding Female Comedy Entertainment Performance award at the 2023 National Comedy Awards for Backstage with Katherine Ryan.
Ryan appeared in the eighteenth season finale of Murdoch Mysteries, "We Take Care of Our Own" (April 14, 2025), as Kiera Ryan, who is a woman ahead of her time, a stand up comedienne.
In 2015 and 2016, Ryan wrote a weekly column in the British entertainment magazine NME. In 2016 she featured in Disney XD and Teletoon's animated television series Counterfeit Cat, where she voiced Ranceford, the stuck-up, white, odd-eyed cat and leader of the Sunshine Circle for Cats.
In 2021, Ryan hosted the six-part reality competition on BBC2. Also in 2021 she presented the ITV2 dating show Ready to Mingle. Ryan released her debut memoir "The Audacity" in September 2021.
In November 2022, Ryan was the subject of an interview in the BBC series Louis Theroux Interviews... with Louis Theroux, during which she told Theroux about the "open secret" of an alleged sexual abuser who was a prominent TV personality.
In January 2023, Ryan appeared as "Pigeon" on the fourth series of The Masked Singer.
In early 2025, Ryan appeared as a judge on the fifth season of Canada's Got Talent.
On 19 June 2025, Ryan was announced as reunion host of The Real Housewives of London.
Ryan gave birth to her first child, a daughter, at age 25.
In 2019, Ryan entered into a civil partnership with Bobby Kootstra. The two had dated in Canada as teenagers and were reunited when Ryan returned to her hometown while filming an episode of the TV show Who Do You Think You Are? Ryan and Kootstra have three children together: a son (born in June 2021) and two daughters (born in December 2022 and October 2025).
Ryan was diagnosed with Cancer staging melanoma in her twenties; a Nevus on her leg was removed. In 2025, she was diagnosed with early melanoma and underwent a mole removal. Ryan was also diagnosed with lupus in 2008.
Career
Comedian
Ryan won the Funny Women award in 2008. Rachel Stubbings and Sara Pascoe were runners-up.
Actress
As an actress, Ryan has appeared on numerous television series in the UK, including the sitcoms Campus, Episodes and Badults. Ryan starred in the Netflix comedy The Duchess, based on a single mother's life in London; she is credited as its writer, executive producer, and creator.
Other work
On 6 June 2014, YouTube comedy duo Jack and Dean released a music video for their song "Consent" featuring Ryan in an acting role.
Personal life
Ryan was in a relationship with American comedian Alex Edelman, which ended in 2019.
Filmography
2005-2008 Video on Trial Juror 2009–2011 Campus George Bryan 2012 Episodes Merc's assistant 2012–2014 Never Mind the Buzzcocks Panelist 2013 Count Arthur Strong Tourist woman Badults Lucy 2013, 2017 QI Contestant 2013–2021 Have I Got News For You Panelist 8 appearances 2014 Duck Quacks Don't Echo Panelist Panelist Live at the Apollo Guest With host Jack Whitehall and fellow guest, Rich Hall 2015 Hair Host Bring the Noise Panelist Live at the Apollo Host With guests Henning Wehn and James Acaster 2015–2016 Safeword Team captain 2015–2017 Jack Dee's Election Helpdesk Regular panelist 2016 Sunny D Kerry The Chase Contestant It's Not Me, It's You Guest team captain Comedy Central at the Comedy Store Host, self 2016–2017 Counterfeit Cat Ranceford, Nelson, various 2016, 2017, 2019 Taskmaster Contestant Series 2 champion
Contestant in two-part Champion of Champions special
Stand-in for Katy Wix in Series 9 episode2016, 2018 Would I Lie to You? Panelist 2017 How'd You Get So Rich? (UK) Presenter The Big Fat Quiz of Everything Contestant The Fake News Show Team captain, panelist All Star Driving School Narrator Tipping Point Contestant Insert Name Here Panelist Noel at the Apollo Host With Marlon Davis, Joel Dommett and John Robins 2017–2019 Your Face or Mine Co-presenter With Jimmy Carr 2018 Dara O Briain's Go 8 Bit Panelist Beyond Bionic Narrator The Fix Self, co-captain 2020 The Duchess Katherine Urban Myths Joan Rivers 2021 Host With judges Shaun Leane and Solange Azagury-Partridge Ready to Mingle Host 2022 Backstage with Katherine Ryan Katherine Ryan Big Zuu's Big Eats Herself Host With judges Shaun Leane and Dinny Hall Louis Theroux Interviews Katherine Ryan Herself With Louis Theroux Big Fat Quiz of the Year Panelist With Maisie Adam 2023 Romantic Getaway Alison The Masked Singer Pigeon Unmasked in episode 5 Celebrity Gogglebox Herself Alongside her partner, Bobby Kootstra 90 Day Fiance UK Host 2024–2025 At Home With Katherine Ryan Herself Two series 2024 Herself (Guest judge) Out of Order Co-host Alongside Rosie Jones and Judi Love Joe and Katherine's Bargain Holidays Co-presenter With Joe Wilkinson Cooking With The Stars Contestant Series 4 2024–present Canada's Got Talent Judge Season 5 2025– The Real Housewives of London Reunion host 2025 The Bad Guys 2 Maureen Voice cameo: UK version Tinsel Town Agent Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Contestant Christmas Special The Big Fat Quiz of the Year Channel 4
Stand-up specials
2017 Katherine Ryan: In Trouble Netflix 2019 Netflix 2022 Katherine Ryan: Missus Sky Comedy 2025 Katherine Ryan: First Born Daughter Sky Comedy
Stand-up tours
2021–2022 Missus United Kingdom and Ireland 2024–2025 Battleaxe United Kingdom and Ireland
External links
Categories: 21st-century Canadian Comedians, 1983 Births, Canadian Expatriates In England, Canadian People Of Irish Descent, Canadian Stand-up Comedians, Canadian Women Comedians, Comedians From Ontario, Living People, Actors From The London Borough Of Haringey, People From Sarnia, Toronto Metropolitan University Alumni, Hooters People, Britain's Next Jewellery Star, Actresses From Ontario, People From Crouch End, Comedians From The London Borough Of Haringey, Judges In Canadian Reality Television Series
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