Katherine Ryan reveals she was fired from her 'dream role' in a West End musical just weeks before it opened

Katherine Ryan has revealed she was axed from her West End musical just weeks before the show opened in May.

The comedian, 43, detailed how she had been offered a 'small part' in the show, where she would undertake eight shows a week despite having a new baby, after welcoming her daughter Holland in October. 

While she did not name the show, she revealed that she was 'really excited', telling The Sun: 'I was almost going to do theatre. I was offered something recently with one caveat: that someone in America needed to hear me sing...

'I was really excited, but I shouldn't have said yes because it was eight shows a week when I had a newborn. Luckily, someone in America did hear my voice and they said no, and I got fired before it began.'

The Sun noted Beetlejuice at the Prince Edward Theatre was the only show that fitted the description as she said: 'It was a musical that's currently in the West End that opened in May.'

While her touring repertoire is large with stand-up shows, she is yet to appear in any theatre, making her axing even more disheartening. 

In October, she is set to tread the boards with her book tour for Firstborn Daughter: Having It All and Doing It Anyway in the Garrick Theatre and Brighton Dome.

Katherine's revelation comes after she admitted she 'has a favourite child'. She has four kids - Violet, 17, from a previous relationship, and Fred, three, Fenna, two, and Holland, with her childhood sweetheart Bobby Koostra, whom she married in 2019.

Speaking on Davina McCall's Begin Again podcast, Katherine shocked fans when she admitted she favours Violet above her other three children.

When pushed on why she felt that way, she explained that she deemed her younger children 'nepobabies' as they had grown up with the privileges born of her success, such as a private education, while Violet had missed out on these.

Additionally, the absence of Violet's father, which Katherine has frequently discussed including on her podcast Telling Everybody Everything and stand-up specials, was one of the factors that pushed Violet up the list.

Speaking to Davina, she said: 'Violet's my favourite, she's my first born. I think people don't like that, they think it's a provocative thing to say...

'I don't worry about it hurting the other kids' feelings because I go, guess what, those are nepobabies, Violet is my favourite. You get to go to private school, you get to grow up with a dad, that's not fair, she's my favourite...

'I mean that makes sense in a way doesn't it, they have privileges she doesn't'.

The comments received backlash from followers of the podcast on Facebook, with one user writing: 'Seriously - or maybe she’s joking (as I understand she is in comedy)… but if serious - Good luck when they grow up...

'Telling one of your children is your favourite has long lasting effects on the others...

'The others will feel they are not good enough which will feed into their future relationships. The favourite one will have more confidence but may experience a level of guilt. Words can cut sharper than knives. (I’m still hopeful she’s just joking).'

Another user echoed the feelings, writing: 'I felt really sad listening to this. Nepo babies can still be deeply hurt and damaged irreparably by their Mothers'.

Agreeing further, a viewer penned: 'Mm as a mother I do not like that at all, even if it's true. Stuff like this can be really emotionally damaging and as their mum it's up to you to protect them not to just say "life isn't fair"...

'You absolutely should worry about hurting your child's feelings, mine didn't worry either and now I don't talk to him at all.'