Katherine Ryan Mocks David Beckham Weeks After Apology to Victoria

Comedian Katherine Ryan recently made a jab at David Beckham during a stand-up performance, approximately two weeks after she issued an apology to his wife, Victoria Beckham. The incident follows a previous controversy where Ryan made a comment on the BBC program "Have I Got News For You" that led to upheld complaints.

During her performance in Chelsea, Ryan, 43, remarked on her past experience with the BBC, stating, "I have been cancelled by the BBC for allegedly calling Victoria Beckham the C word." She then added, "Or as David Beckham knows it – the K word, because bless him the alphabet is hard." Ryan clarified her feelings for Victoria Beckham, saying, "But I actually did not do that, I actually love Victoria Beckham."

The original controversy occurred in November 2025 on "Have I Got News For You." The show discussed an alleged 2013 email from David Beckham to his publicist, in which he reportedly used an offensive term to describe the honors committee after missing out on a knighthood. While fellow panelist Maisie Adams used the term during the discussion, the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) ruled that her use was justified as it related to David Beckham's alleged statement.

However, the ECU found no editorial justification for Ryan's subsequent joke, which linked Victoria Beckham to the offensive term. The ruling stated, "There was no such justification for a comment which presented Victoria Beckham as equivalent to a particularly offensive word."

Following the BBC's decision, Ryan posted a video addressing the situation. She cited her recent experience as a new mother, referring to a condition called "matrescence." Ryan explained, "At that time, though there is no defence, I was suffering from a condition called matrescence. I was in that building with a ten-day-old baby. Should I have left the house?" She also acknowledged the nature of her comment, saying, "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. If I had called Jimmy Carr a c, he wouldn't have minded."

Ryan further commented on the BBC's classification of the word as a slur, questioning, "But this was described by the BBC as a slur, as though c are part of a protected group." She reiterated that the audience's reaction indicated it was understood as a joke. Ryan also shared that she had sent a message to Victoria Beckham to clarify that it was a "stupid joke" and that she meant no harm.