Katherine Ryan quit Mock the Week over ‘pedestal feminism’ booking system for women

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Comedian Katherine Ryan has revealed that she stopped appearing on Mock the Week because she felt that she was taking work away from other female comedians. Discussing her experiences as a woman in comedy on her podcast Telling Everybody Everything, the Canadian stand-up discussed a certain type of “pedestal feminism” where one woman is allowed to excel and used as an impossible standard for other women. I was never taking James Acaster‘s spot, I was never taking Ed Gamble‘s spot on that show, I was always 100 per cent of the time taking a job away from one of my female peers.” Ryan continued: “I thought, ‘OK, I’ve had my time on this show, I have to give it to someone else.’ As much as I love to do it, it really helped me open up a fresh audience, I loved to go on there and play with all the other comics. but I couldn’t do it anymore because of that fact alone.” In reference to critics who use her to prove that “Mock the Week doesn’t have a problem with women”, the comedian said: “Nuh-uh.