Katherine Ryan says Victoria Beckham comment was ‘a joke’ after BBC complaints

Katherine Ryan has said she loves Lady Victoria Beckham after an “offensive” comment she made about her on Have I Got News For You resulted in viewer complaints.The BBC upheld a complaint made by two viewers over an episode of the show hosted by Ryan on November 7 where she made reference to a 2013 private email sent by Sir David Beckham where he allegedly used the c-word.Ryan said on the show: “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.”In its ruling, the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) stated: “There was no such justification for a comment which presented Victoria Beckham as equivalent to a particularly offensive word.”They have also edited out the comment from the episode currently available on iPlayer.Ryan shared a video message, saying: “Today the BBC announced their decision to uphold a complaint made by two very influential viewers about a joke that I tried to make on an episode of Have I Got News For You.“At that time, though there is no defence, I was suffering from a condition called matrescence.“I was in that building with a 10-day-old baby.“Should I have left the house?”Matrescence refers to the physical and psychological change that occurs when a woman becomes a mother.Ryan had her youngest child, a daughter named Holland, in October 2025 with her partner Bobby Kootstra.She is also mother to Fred, five, and Fenna, three, with Kootstra and Violet, 16, with a former partner.Ryan said on the show: “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” (Ian West/PA)PA ArchiveThe comedian added: “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.“Joanne McNally, c***, she wouldn’t have minded.“But this was described by the BBC as a slur, as though c**** are part of a protected group.“If you watched it on the day, it was clearly a joke and the whole audience went (gasp) and then I said, ‘woah, I love her’.”The ECU ruled the panel’s use of the word c*** was justified as it was in reference to Sir David’s alleged use of it, but it was not justifiable when used in reference to his wife.Read MoreIt added: “The relevant BBC editorial guidelines do not require programmes to avoid giving offence but do require that any offence should be editorially justified.”