Katherine Ryan

I got on stage that night, just pale.

And I said, Katherine Ryan did this to me.

Yeah.

What are three things in your life that you think maybe age you?

I got on stage that night just pale and scrawny.

And I

said, Katherine Ryan did this to me.

Well, hopefully kind of like Jimmy Carr has an aging portrait in his house.

Research suggests... that it could reduce the risk of dementia, with one study showing benefits were stronger in women.

But we start with comedian Katherine Ryan.

She joined me yesterday in the Woman's Hour studio to discuss her new memoir about being a first-born daughter and all the ways this may have affected her approach to life, from marriage to motherhood, fertility to facelifts.

Catherine has earned a reputation for her unflinching honesty, whether it's in a stand-up, on TV panel shows, on podcasts or her reality show.

And then the addition of, you know, having to recognize that the sons are treated like little princes and no one's going to hand you anything on a silver platter.

So you just have to get on with it.

Anyway, it's not about me, Katherine Ryan.

It's about you.

I didn't say hello because I was a bit like...

But Katherine Ryan, babe, there's something about her as an MC.

I feel like she's classy.

She's the best of the best.

Which is...

You don't need to get a slot on Catherine Ryan's show.

Just use base age and you can do it.

Well, that's true.

Maybe she'll start using it.

Who knows? What's my age again?

Catherine Ryan podcast.

Good plug there.

There's a strong theme on the programme today, using your voice.

Queen of comedy, Katherine Ryan, uses hers to express her views and opinions and often makes us laugh.

She's a firstborn daughter of a firstborn daughter and has her own firstborn daughter.

And in her new memoir, entitled Confessions of a Firstborn Daughter, she explores how this specific birth status has shaped how she takes on life and has got her to where she is now, which is a self-made Canadian immigrant to Britain who has done very well for herself.

My question to all of you is, are you a firstborn daughter? If so, how do you think it's impacted you and the way you've lived your life? Maybe you were raised by a firstborn daughter or maybe you're raising one yourself now.

Well, thank you.

My next guest, comedian Katherine Ryan, is all three, and her new memoir is exploring all the ways being a firstborn daughter may have affected her approach to life, from marriage to motherhood, fertility to facelifts.

Catherine has earned a reputation for her unflinchingly honest, whether it's in her stand-up or on a TV panel show or on a podcast or on a reality show, she says what she thinks.

51551, that is the text.

And I'm joined now straight away by presenter, comedian, bestselling author, Katherine Ryan.

Welcome, Catherine.

Hello.

No, it's not.

It's not far, but it's a leap for Cork, people, I can tell you.

By the way, do you have an Irish passport, Katherine Ryan?

I do, of course.

What, sorry? Oh yeah, back to the programme.

Here's comedian Catherine Ryan.

Not for her, this I'm just like you, schtick, no. She's not only embracing her money, she's flaunting it.

I'm not shameful about having help.

I think episodes that stand out for me, Stephen Merchant was incredible.

You know, the moment he bought a plastic toy plane because he was giving that to his parents as a present at Christmas to tell them that he was going to fly them out to L.A. because he just bought a house in L.A., that was very special and a lovely moment um that's a great episode um katherine ryan's episode is a really good one she got very emotional about an old wendy house she bought for her daughter in the back garden when she was a single mom in london miles from home trying to become a stand-up comedian and she just it was a very emotional moment to see that toy that she bought she could barely afford to buy at the time um and that happens a lot you get emotional moments and you get deeply silly moments as well where you might get um I don't know, Alex Zane or Toby Tarrant, you know, radio broadcasters, comedians, Alex Zane bought a set of headphones every week and sunglasses.

Like he literally subscribes to sunglasses.

He loses them all the time.