Katherine Ryan Details Victoria Beckham Apology After 'Offensive' Joke

Comedian Katherine Ryan has shared details of her apology to Victoria Beckham after a joke made on the BBC quiz show 'Have I Got News For You' led to upheld complaints. The BBC's Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) ruled that Ryan's comment, linking an obscene term to the fashion designer, lacked editorial justification.

Ryan, 43, said that Beckham contacted her directly to express that she was offended by the remark, which occurred in November 2025. "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 told Heat magazine.

The joke stemmed from a discussion on the program about an alleged email from David Beckham in 2013, where he reportedly used the same offensive term in reference to the honours committee. While the ECU found panelist Maisie Adam's use of the word justified due to its relation to Sir David's alleged usage, they did not find justification for Ryan's subsequent comment about his wife.

Ryan explained that on the broadcast, she did not use the actual word but made a reference to it. "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," she said on the show. The ECU's ruling stated that Ryan's comment presented Victoria Beckham "as equivalent to a particularly offensive word."

An internal investigation was triggered by two viewers who deemed the remark "gratuitously offensive." Ryan later addressed the incident on social media, attributing her state at the time to having recently given birth and experiencing "matrescence." She remarked that while she forgot celebrities are not always friends, and that a male comedian might not have minded such a joke, she acknowledged that the BBC had described the term as a slur.

Ryan stated that after her apology, she never heard back from Beckham and has not reached out since, believing one apology is sufficient. "Maybe we can patch things up one day," she added.

In separate comments, Ryan also discussed her interest in undergoing a fat transfer procedure, a potentially high-risk cosmetic surgery, after having already spent £25,000 on a facelift. She mentioned considering the procedure for her buttocks but acknowledged its associated dangers. Ryan also revealed plans to have her breast implants removed, citing extensive breastfeeding as a reason for her changing preferences regarding breast augmentation.