Katherine Ryan on why The Real Housewives of London is more feminist than you think

Try as we might, spinning the multiple metaphorical plates in our lives is no easy feat. Add work, home, and relationships into the mix, and things can quickly tip off balance. So when I heard that leading comedian Katherine Ryan was taking on a new role as host of The Real Housewives of London Reunion — a minefield in itself — I felt exhausted on her behalf. Alongside her stand-up career and regular primetime appearances, Ryan hosts multiple podcasts and, at the time of our interview, was pregnant with baby number four. Yet somehow, she makes the chaos look calm. As she puts it, “When you love what you do, is it really work?”

Throughout her comedy career, Ryan's sharp wit has been fuelled by her fascination with pop culture and celebrity scandal (she's a self-confessed, loud-and-proud member of the Beehive). But behind the humour, she's built a platform that champions female empowerment, representation, and the diverse realities of modern womanhood in the U.K.—a country she's called home since moving from Canada in 2008.

"I've always been curious about other people," she says. "And The Real Housewives of London, specifically, showcase a demographic of women you don't come across every day. Yes, they can be petty and catty at times, but they're also authentic, empowered, self-assured, and vulnerable. There's no other show I can think of where the main cast are these glamorous, layered women over 40—who, by the way, don't look it—rarely talking about men, relationships, or their husbands. It passes the Bechdel Test, and it's such an intriguing feminist conversation."

Like its American counterparts, The Real Housewives of London follows a group of women navigating careers, friendships, and inevitable drama. But as Ryan points out, the British version operates on a whole other level. "In North America, we have wealth—but not old wealth. We don't have castles, titles, or the same kind of institutions that exist here. The London franchise includes trips to Buckingham Palace and weekends at actual castles—you don't see that in the U.S."

As a Brit myself, and with Katherine now an honorary one after more than fifteen years in the U.K., you'd think we'd both be used to the vernacular. But the use of words like chavvy and ghastly adds a uniquely British twist to the drama—offering what Ryan calls "a spoonful of Mary Poppins sugar to help the medicine go down."

"Especially to an international audience, the juxtaposition is hilarious," she explains. "You're not going to see another Housewives fight between the wealthiest women imaginable, where one calls the other 'chavvy'. Another great line? 'Insecure, unsuccessful, poisonous trolls.' You can't write that—it's television gold."

Ryan is in her early 40s herself, and has, just as our chat airs, welcomed her fourth child, Holland, joining her other three children, including eldest daughter Violet, born when Ryan was just twenty-five. She's candid about the different experience of parenting this time around.

"It's an interesting decision for women in their late 30s or early 40s," she reflects. "Do you freeze your eggs, wait for the right partner, or just go for it? I know a lot of women aren't even waiting for the right partner, which, by the way, I think is wise, because they're never ready."

Her perspective on motherhood has evolved, too. "Back then, I was really hands-on—it was just me and Violet, and I wanted to be with her all the time. My natural parenting style is attachment parenting. But now, I have a nanny and a husband, so I can actually spend a night away for work. We'll see which kids turn out more adjusted!"

Speaking of nannies, this time, from a metaphorical Real Housewives perspective, I wonder who would make the Godmother cut from the on-screen London line-up.

"First, I was going to say Karen—easy," she laughs. "She's got the most money, she's cool, she's funny, and she's the voice of reason on the show." After a pause, she reconsiders. "But honestly, they all have their merits—Julia's got the Lindsay Lohan connection, Panthea bakes, and I could use both of those in my life. So maybe I'll keep having babies and make them all godmothers!"