- The BBC's Executive Complaints Unit has upheld complaints from two viewers regarding an offensive joke made by Katherine Ryan about Lady Victoria Beckham on Have I Got News For You.
- During the broadcast on 7 November, Ryan referenced an alleged private email by Sir David Beckham containing the c-word and made a comment presenting Victoria Beckham as equivalent to the offensive term.
- The complaints unit ruled that while referencing Sir David's alleged use of the word was editorially justified, using it to target his wife was not, leading the BBC to edit the joke out of the iPlayer version.
- Responding via a video statement, Ryan explained she made the joke shortly after giving birth while experiencing matrescence, acknowledging that celebrities are not her friends and might not react like fellow comedians.
- Ryan defended her intentions by highlighting that she immediately declared her love for Victoria Beckham during the show after the audience reacted with a gasp to the comment.
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