Katherine Ryan has spoken out about her experience of working with Russell Brand on the UK version of Roast Battle for Paramount’s Comedy Central.
During her Sky stand-up special, Katherine Ryan: First Born Daughter, which premiered on Saturday, the Canadian comedian confirmed that she made jokes about Brand’s alleged treatment of women — but claimed that Paramount ultimately stopped her from targeting her Roast Battle co-star.
Ryan did not name Brand during her special, but dropped several unsubtle clues about his identity. It is also well known that she confronted Brand during Roast Battle, with Deadline reporting the news in 2023 after The Times, Sunday Times, and Channel 4 published a joint investigation into his alleged misconduct.
Brand has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. In May, he pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault. In a social media post, the Forgetting Sarah Marshall star said he was “grateful” for the opportunity to defend himself during a trial in 2026. Earlier this month, Brand was charged with two further offences: one of rape and another of sexual assault. He is due to appear in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on January 20 to face the charges.
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During her Sky stand-up special, Ryan said: “I was invited on a panel show, and I was so excited to do it, but then I found out that if I went on, I would be sat next to a man whom I firmly believe, but can’t prove to be a c***. And that’s the lawyer’s choice of words, not mine.”
She continued: “Initially, I turned the job down, and then I thought: well, he’ll be there in his unnecessarily tight jeans, won’t he? He’ll be there, finger-banging Tucker Carlson or sucking off a Tibetan monk for views, whatever he does now … I thought I will go on the show, and I made a moral decision.”
Her decision was that she would confront Brand and make jokes about his alleged reputation, “but in a fun way.” She recalled two gags she made about Brand, neither of which made the final edit when Roast Battle screened in the UK in 2018.
Ryan said Brand was “fine with it for a while, until eventually he had a hissy fit and threatened to quit the show.” She continued: “The channel got upset. They didn’t want him to leave, and they issued him a new contract, which he waltzed into my dressing room and threw under my nose the next day. He said: ‘Look, you’re not allowed to be mean to me anymore, because I don’t consent.’”
Ryan added that she had to “be nice” following Comedy Central’s intervention on the show, produced by Fulwell Entertainment. Paramount declined to comment. Ryan and Brand were approached for comment.
Brand left Roast Battle after Season 1 and was replaced by Jonathan Ross. Based on the U.S. show Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle, Comedy Central‘s format is predicated on comedians making jokes at each other’s expense, with judges — which included Brand and Ryan — considered to be fair game.
Ryan has previously spoken about her experience on Roast Battle in an appearance on BBC series Louis Theroux Interviews... in 2022. Again, she did not name Brand or the show, but went viral for her allegations — something she reflected on in her First Born Daughter special.
“I was so excited to be interviewed by him, and I maybe shouldn’t have done that interview, because I have a disorder where if you ask me a question, I will tell you the answer,” she joked. “What’s the worst that could happen if I talk to Louis Theroux about it? A Times exposé, a Channel 4 documentary?”
Ryan continued: “It’s awkward now, because there is someone in the UK who’s been officially charged with an offense, and when that happens, you’re not allowed to slag them off anymore. Boo.”