Ryan Wade Brown

Katherine Ryan, born in Sarnia, Ontario, in June 1983, is a Canadian comedian, writer, presenter, actress, and singer. She has established a significant presence in British television and radio, appearing on numerous popular panel shows. Ryan's career also includes acting roles in UK sitcoms and her own Netflix series, "The Duchess." As a stand-up comedian, she has released two Netflix specials, "Katherine Ryan: In Trouble" (2017) and "Katherine Ryan: Glitter Room" (2019), and has toured extensively.

Her early life involved moving from Ireland to Canada with her father, and she was raised in Ontario with her two sisters. After studying city planning at university, where she also worked at Hooters and performed at open mic nights, she moved to the UK in 2008. Ryan's comedic career gained traction after winning the Funny Women award in 2008. She has since hosted shows like "Hair" and "All That Glitters," and has been a regular on programs such as "Mock the Week" and "Would I Lie to You?" Ryan has also authored a memoir titled "The Audacity," published in 2021.

Born in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, Katherine Ryan's father, Finbar, originally from Ireland, is an engineer, and her mother, Julie McCarthy, runs an IT consulting firm. Ryan, along with her two younger sisters, grew up in Ontario. After her parents' separation during her teenage years, she pursued city planning at Ryerson University in Toronto. During her university years, she worked at Hooters, eventually training other staff, and began performing stand-up comedy at open mic nights. She was also a dancer on MuchMusic's "Electric Circus." Post-graduation, she continued with Hooters as a corporate trainer, travelling across Canada and helping to establish the company's first UK branch in Nottingham. In 2007, she moved to London with her then-partner, Wade McElwain, initially for a month, and then permanently in January 2008.

Katherine Ryan's comedy career took off after she won the Funny Women award in 2008, earning her recognition as "the funniest new female stand-up in Britain." Her television work began with appearances on Canadian shows like "Video on Trial." After relocating to the UK, she became a regular on British panel shows, including "8 Out of 10 Cats" and "Mock the Week." Her stand-up specials, "Katherine Ryan: In Trouble" (2017) and "Katherine Ryan: Glitter Room" (2019), were released on Netflix, showcasing her distinctive comedic voice. She has also ventured into hosting, presenting shows such as "Hair" on BBC Two and "All That Glitters" on BBC2.

Beyond stand-up, Ryan has built a career as an actress, appearing in UK television sitcoms like "Campus" and "Episodes." She created, wrote, and starred in the Netflix comedy series "The Duchess," which explored the life of a single mother in London. Ryan has also contributed to other media, including writing a weekly column for NME magazine and voicing a character in the animated series "Counterfeit Cat." Her memoir, "The Audacity," was published in September 2021, detailing her life experiences. She has also appeared in various reality and competition shows, such as "The Masked Singer" and "Canada's Got Talent."