Comedian Katherine Ryan has said she confronted a colleague on a TV programme because she believed he was a sexual abuser.
The 38-year-old announced how she confronted the unnamed man, calling him a "predator to his face" in front of others, every single day when working on the show.
The Irish-Canadian lives in London, appearing on shows such as Have I Got News for You, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and 8 Out of 10 Cats.
Comedian Katherine Ryan confronted an unnamed colleague as she believed he was a sexual abuser
Ellis O'Brien
Ms Ryan spoke with Sarah Pascoe on her new show 'Backstage with Katherine Ryan'
Ellis O'Brien
Speaking to fellow female comedian Sara Pascoe, about abuse awareness in showbusiness, Ms Ryan said: "I’ve done a show with a person who I and you believe is a predator. What am I supposed to do?
“I’ve thought about that, but it’s such a messy thing because I don’t have proof. What, am I not supposed to feed my children because of someone else? I raised it. I called him a predator to his face and in front of everyone every day.”
Ms Pascoe understood her fellow comedians comments, saying she knew the identity of the man, but the show's identity remained concealed.
Discussing their experiences on the Irish-Canadian's new Amazon Prime show, Backstage with Katherine Ryan, Ms Pascoe said in a separate incident she had reported a celebrity colleague to producers after she was telephoned by a viewer who claimed to have been raped by him.
Ms Pascoe, expanded on her point saying: “Have you ever done a job and then someone’s contacted you and said, ‘That’s my rapist’? I had it on a job recently where I’ve had to go to the channel, and it’s that whole thing because you feel such a sense of responsibility but you also want it to be dealt with well . . . It’s so complicated.”
Prior to the release of the episode, Ms Ryan spoke to The Sunday Times saying: “That has never happened to me, but there have been jobs that I have considered not taking because there is someone on it who is potentially predatory, and then I am, like, so what are we to do?
"Just take ourselves out of the industry? That is not a protest anyone cares about.
"Or do I take the job to feed my children because I didn’t rape anyone? In the end you just have to weigh up all those opportunities and think what is going to make a difference.”
Broadcasters including Channel 4, ITV and the BBC are being approached for comment on Ryan’s allegations against the unnamed colleague.
Ms Ryan added how she has been added to a WhatsApp group of 160 female comedians where they share advice including people to avoid in the industry.
She added: “I don’t know if it’s because we are a gang of misfits thrown together, but we are all so united.”
