Katherine Ryan, who is pregnant with her fourth child, and her mother Julie McCarthy attended the gala night of Mamma Mia! The Party at London’s O2 on Thursday, where the production marked the launch of a new charity partnership with Nordoff and Robbins.
Ryan, 42, wore a flowing black maxi dress patterned with red hearts that showcased her baby bump. She completed the look with black platform sandals and a gold choker. McCarthy, 65, wore a pink sequin mini dress with feather-trimmed cuffs and white open-toe heels. The pair posed for photographs on the red carpet and appeared in good spirits.
The gala brought together a number of British entertainment figures. Also in attendance were former Love Island contestant Samira Mighty, professional dancer Amy Dowden, Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood, singer Lemar, socialite Henry Conway and actor Alison Steadman. Organizers said the evening also highlighted a recently announced partnership between the show and music therapy charity Nordoff and Robbins.
Ryan is married to Bobby Kootstra and is mother to son Fred, 4, and daughter Fenna, 2; she also has an older daughter, Violet, 16, from a previous relationship. The comedian has faced renewed scrutiny this week after a 2022 interview clip resurfaced online. In that televised conversation with Louis Theroux, Ryan discussed a past sexual arrangement with a former boss. The interview was shared on Stream4U this week, prompting renewed public reaction.
On Tuesday, Ryan posted on Instagram to address responses to the clip, writing that she was neither “proud nor shameful” about choices she made as a young adult and describing those years as a period when she and others from her generation navigated being objectified. In the 2022 interview, Ryan recounted telling a former employer she would be able to leave early in exchange for oral sex; she told Theroux she liked the man at the time and said several colleagues had similar arrangements.
In her social media post, Ryan said cultural norms have shifted and that reactions to the clip reflected confusion over her perspective. She did not retract the account but framed it within broader commentary on the dynamics of that period. The resurfacing of the interview follows a wider public debate about consent, power dynamics in workplaces and how past actions are judged in the present.
Event organizers said the collaboration between Mamma Mia! The Party and Nordoff and Robbins will support music therapy initiatives, though details of the partnership’s funding and programming were not disclosed at the gala. Representatives for Ryan and other attendees did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The gala at the O2 continued into the evening with performances associated with the immersive Mamma Mia! experience. The production, which features songs by ABBA, has staged similar charity and fundraising events in recent years as part of its promotional activities.