Katherine Ryan reappears after Victoria Beckham slur apology
The comedian was seen at a West End show following the BBC upholding complaints about a remark made on Have I Got News For You.
Katherine Ryan made her first public appearance on Sunday since apologizing to Victoria Beckham for what she described as a "stupid joke." Ryan attended the 20th anniversary of the West End show "Wicked" at the Apollo Victoria Theatre.
This outing comes after Victoria Beckham shared a social media post showcasing a bouquet of flowers from her husband, David, following the BBC's decision to uphold complaints about Ryan's comment on the show "Have I Got News For You." Viewers had complained after Ryan appeared to link an obscene term to Beckham, a remark that was deemed "gratuitously offensive" by some.
An internal investigation by the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) reviewed the November 2025 episode. The ECU ruled that while fellow panelist Maisie Adam's use of the term was justified in reference to an alleged comment made by Sir David Beckham, there was no editorial justification for Ryan's subsequent joke about Victoria Beckham.
During the program, which Ryan hosted, the discussion involved an email from David Beckham to his publicist expressing frustration about missing out on a knighthood in 2013. In the email, he reportedly referred to the honors committee with the offensive term. Ryan's comment on the show referenced this, stating, "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."
The ECU ruling stated, "There was no such justification for a comment which presented Victoria Beckham as equivalent to a particularly offensive word."
Following the ruling, Ryan posted a video on social media, attributing her comment partly to being a new mother. She explained that at the time, she was dealing with "matrescence" and had a ten-day-old baby. Ryan acknowledged that while there was "no defence," she sometimes forgot that celebrities are not personal friends and might be offended, contrasting it with how a comedian like Jimmy Carr might react to similar remarks.
She also shared a screenshot of a message sent to Victoria Beckham, emphasizing that it was "a stupid joke and I didn't mean any harm towards you at all."