Comedian Katherine Ryan called attention to the 'elephant in the room' as she addressed audience members after making headlines.
Ryan found herself in the spotlight this week when a report emerged claiming she had criticised Russell Brand's behaviour when they worked together on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle.
Brand only remained on the show for one series, allegedly leaving after facing repeated accusations of being a 'sexual predator'.
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The report came as Brand was accused of rape and sexual assault in a Channel 4 documentary in which multiple women came forward with allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
Brand has denied the allegations and insisted his relationships have always been consensual.
In the wake of the headlines, Ryan appeared in front of a crowd at the Royal Television Society event in Cambridge on Wednesday (21 September) to perform a set.
She discussed her sex life, her ancestry and her kids, and at one point made reference to the 'elephant in the room' to the crowd.
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However, Ryan avoided all discussion of Brand and instead told the crowd she'd lost two stone in the last two months, indicating her weight loss was the 'elephant in the room'.
The comedian has previously spoken about encounters with people in the industry, telling Louis Theroux that she'd once confronted someone to their face.
Ryan didn't name Brand or the show she was working on at the time, but said: “I – in front of loads of people, in the format of the show – said to this person’s face that they are a predator.”
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In response to the allegations relating to Roast Battle, reported by Deadline, Paramount said: “We are aware of the very serious allegations raised in the investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Dispatches. Russell Brand was a presenter on MTV at periods between 2000-2012 and was a panellist on Comedy Central UK’s Roast Battle in 2017.
“We are not currently aware of any reports of misconduct having been raised with MTV or Comedy Central, but if any are brought forward they will be investigated. The welfare of all those working on, or contributing to, our shows is our highest priority and today we have robust duty of care procedures in place on all programmes produced for us including confidential whistleblowing lines.”
Insiders told Deadline Brand ultimately left the show as 'contract negotiations were made as tricky as possible'.
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“In the end, it came down to the fact that it seemed like Russell didn’t have a good sense of humor. He didn’t feel he was fair game," they claimed.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivor’s Trust for free on 08088 010 818, or through their website thesurvivorstrust.org
Topics: Celebrity, Russell Brand, Katherine Ryan
Emily Brown