Katherine Ryan Audiobooks

A fixture of British panel comedy turns to family rank in First Born Daughter

1 audiobook reviewed

Who is Katherine Ryan?

Katherine Ryan, born in 1983, is a Canadian comedian, writer, presenter and actress who has become one of the most familiar faces in British comedy – an adopted fixture of the UK panel-show circuit, from 8 Out of 10 Cats and Mock the Week to Would I Lie to You?, QI and Have I Got News for You, with Just a Minute on radio for good measure. In 2015 she took over from Steve Jones as presenter of Hair on BBC Two.

The stand-up credentials are just as solid. She has appeared on Live at the Apollo as both featured and lead act, and two of her live specials, In Trouble and Glitter Room, sit on Netflix – the platform that also carried The Duchess, the sitcom built around her. Acting credits include Campus and Episodes.

Katherine Ryan in audiobooks

A comedian’s writing keeps the rhythms of performance, which is why stand-ups tend to flourish in audio, and Ryan arrives with years of British stages and studios behind her. Our catalogue carries First Born Daughter, a title that lays family and pecking order on the table before a word has been heard.

For UK listeners she occupies an unusual and appealing position: the outsider who knows Britain intimately. A Canadian who conquered the British panel show has, by definition, a sharp eye for this country’s habits, and that outside-in perspective is what makes the observations land. Expect confidence, polish and no wasted words.