Katherine Ryan has broken her silence, after comments she made about Russell Brand resurfaced.
Earlier this week, Deadline reported that the comedian accused Russell of being a “sexual predator” on the Comedy Central series Roast Battle, and that he was later dropped from the show.
The report came after Russell was accused of sexual assault and rape by a number of women in Channel 4’s film Dispatches – which aired on Saturday night.
During her on-stage appearance at RTS Cambridge on Wednesday evening, Katherine spoke out for the first time since the story broke, joking about the “elephant in the room”.
She then insisted that the “elephant” that she was referring to was her recent two stone weight-loss, failing to mention Russell.
Katherine’s comments about Russell, who was replaced on the show by Jonathan Ross, did not make it to the final edit of the aired episode.
A source told Deadline that Russell was “absolutely furious” at being targeted by Katherine in the roast.
Other insiders claimed Russell demanded that producers protect him from being roasted by his fellow comedians.
The producers reportedly grew uncomfortable with the rumours about Russell, and his reluctance to be roasted gave the company an opportunity to drop him from the show.
A source said: “Contract negotiations were made as tricky as possible, is the best way to put it. In the end, it came down to the fact that it seemed like Russell didn’t have a good sense of humour. He didn’t feel he was fair game.”
Russell has dominated headlines since the release of the Channel 4 special Dispatches, in which four women accused him of sexual assault and rape, as well as controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour.
The English actor has vehemently denied the allegations against him, claiming that despite his “promiscuous” days, his relationships have always been “consensual”.
The alleged incidents, which were uncovered as part of a joint investigation by The Times and Channel 4, are said to have taken place between 2006 and 2013.
