Great Company with Jamie Laing

Episode: KATHERINE RYAN: HOW I CHANGED MY MINDSET & MADE A LIFE FOR ME & MY DAUGHTER
Date: September 30, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of "Great Company" features comedian and writer Katherine Ryan, who joins Jamie Laing and co-host Jemima Kirke for an open, candid, and often hilarious discussion. The conversation spans personal transformation, single motherhood, comedy industry secrets, attitudes towards intimacy, parenting philosophies, and navigating public life. Katherine shares her journey from financial precarity and insecurity to a celebrated career, offers raw reflections on her fears and strengths, tackles double standards in comedy, and gives listeners a preview of her new show, "Write Me Dirty." The tone throughout is frank, warm, witty, and insightful, with bursts of both vulnerability and classic Katherine Ryan sharpness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Redefining Mindset Through Adversity

[11:42–19:33]

• Katherine discusses becoming a single mother in her mid-20s, diagnosed with lupus, and lacking support (emotional or financial) from her daughter's father.
• Felt alone—family abroad, no reliable partner—and fearful for her own and her daughter’s safety.
• Realized she couldn’t control others; focused on what she did have.
• Quote:

  “When I had nothing, I realized I had everything already.” (15:35, Katherine Ryan)

• Discovering gratitude—even at her lowest—brought her newfound abundance and opportunities.
• Emphasizes the importance of focusing on what you do have, not what’s missing.

2. Parenting: From Solo to Partnership

[19:33–21:25]

• On the experience of parenting alone versus with her current husband, Bobby:
  • Keeping score between partners is natural but counter-productive.
  • Parenting with empathy, treating children as people not babies.
• Innovative approach: started potty training her children at three months, all trained before a year.
• Quote:

  “Friends don’t let friends shit themselves at lunch.” (21:12, Katherine Ryan)

3. Navigating Pregnancy & Vulnerability

[09:03–10:14, 39:27–40:08]

• Katherine has had seven pregnancies—some didn’t go past the first trimester. She speaks openly about miscarriage and normalizing the messy realities.
• Jamie and Katherine share the fears and emotional shifts that accompany becoming parents.
• On being supported during pregnancy:

  “No one’s ever really been that supportive to me.” (39:41, Katherine Ryan)

4. Women in Comedy & Double Standards

[23:35–24:20]

• Discusses how female comedians are described with more aggressive, negative language than men—e.g., “crass” or “vulgar.”
• The scrutiny about how her material might impact her children, a question male comedians rarely face.
• Quote:

  “People have asked me in interviews, ‘how are you going to explain to your children when they look at your material and see what a dirty mouth you have?’ I’m like, is anyone asking Frankie Boyle?” (24:12, Katherine Ryan)

5. Industry Secrets & Speaking Out

[24:56–26:40]

• Katherine reflects on talking publicly about a predatory figure within the comedy world:
  • For years, it was an “open secret”—no one cared.
  • Only recently have whistleblowers, timing, and culture combined to bring attention.
• Quote:

  “I believe very strongly [he] has been an open secret in our industry as someone who is predatory. And no one's ever cared...Then all of a sudden, everyone did care.” (25:03, Katherine Ryan)

6. Emotion, Intimacy & Relationships

[29:21–34:39]

• Honest chat about intimacy post-babies, frequency of sex, managing differing libidos, and using data to improve marriage (Katherine logs sex in an app).
• The importance of three "types" of sex in long-term relationships: scheduled, spontaneous, and quickies.
• Quote:

  “If you haven’t had sex, you’re in a fight. You need the release.” (33:29, Katherine Ryan)

• Jamie admits he’s learned patience and to not mirror his partner’s emotions—a shift from previous relationships.

7. Real Housewives & “Write Me Dirty”

[44:08–48:45]

• Katherine is hosting both “Write Me Dirty”—an erotic fiction comedy podcast—and the Real Housewives of London.
• "Write Me Dirty" aims to show comedians out of their comfort zone, writing and sharing erotic stories about each other.
• Quote:

  “Comedians are weirdly prudish … it’s so destabilizing and awkward … that’s when you get comedians at their best.” (45:46, Katherine Ryan)

• On Housewives:
  • The cast is purposefully unknown and international, promoting authenticity over fame or media training.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Notable Moment | |-----------|----------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15:35 | Katherine Ryan | “When I had nothing, I realized I had everything already.” | | 21:12 | Katherine Ryan | “Friends don’t let friends shit themselves at lunch.” | | 24:12 | Katherine Ryan | “Is anyone asking Frankie Boyle?” | | 25:03 | Katherine Ryan | “I believe very strongly [he] has been an open secret...And no one's ever cared.” | | 33:29 | Katherine Ryan | “If you haven’t had sex, you’re in a fight. You need the release.” | | 39:41 | Katherine Ryan | “No one’s ever really been that supportive to me.” | | 45:46 | Katherine Ryan | “[Write Me Dirty] is so destabilizing and awkward ... that’s when you get comedians at their best.” | | 48:17 | Katherine Ryan | “This is two kinds of release. Wanking and laughing and crying—three kinds of release.” | | 52:03 | Katherine Ryan | “I like when Jimmy Carr says, ‘Never complain, never explain.’” | | 56:26 | Katherine Ryan | “A respectable husband and father ... finishes the day on a bag of cocaine, face first in a sex worker’s asshole.” |

Highlighted Segments & Timestamps

• Mindset shift after single motherhood & lupus diagnosis: [11:42–19:33]
• Parenting philosophy, early potty training: [21:09–22:51]
• Pregnancy, miscarriage, and partner support: [09:03–10:14, 39:27–40:08]
• Industry-wide sexism & double standards in comedy: [23:35–24:20]
• Speaking out about predators in comedy: [24:56–26:40]
• Intimacy and managing marriage data: [29:21–34:39]
• Launching “Write Me Dirty” and views on comedy media: [44:08–48:45]
• Gamely fielding rapid-fire personality questions: [52:01–61:40]

The Original Spirit & Tone

• Katherine is characteristically fearless, forthright, and quick-witted—often mixing vulnerable truths with deadpan zingers.
• Jamie’s earnestness and curiosity draw out Katherine’s honesty, and Jemima provides supportive, light-hearted interjections.
• The conversation is intimate and informal, with laughter never far from confessions or heavy topics.

Summary for First-Time Listeners

This episode is an authentic, insightful, and extremely funny deep dive into Katherine Ryan’s life and mind. It’s valuable listening for anyone interested in:

• Resilience and personal change
• Maternal strength and solo parenting
• Navigating creative industries as a woman
• The real talk on love, sex, and long-term partnership
• Feminist takes on comedy and cultural shifts

You’ll leave with a sense of Katherine’s self-assuredness, gratitude, sharp social observations—and the distinct feeling of being in "great company."

Further Listening

• Link to Katherine’s “Write Me Dirty” podcast is available in the show notes.
• Engage with “Great Company” on Instagram or via email for more inspiring, honest conversations with outstanding guests.