Archive November 1, 2025

EXCLUSIVE: The Real Housewives of London reunion is set to be explosive as comedian Katherine Ryan takes on the role of host – and she’s revealed what it was really like behind the scenes

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When Katherine Ryan walked into the Real Housewives of London reunion set, she wasn’t just stepping onto another television stage — she was entering a lion’s den of couture, conflict and confession. At 39, the Canadian-born, London-based comedian has faced hecklers, trolls and tabloid headlines, but even she admits nothing quite compares to mediating a Housewives showdown.

Known for her razor-sharp wit, fearless honesty and ability to slice through tension with a perfectly timed punchline, Katherine brought all her comedic instincts to Hayu’s biggest UK reality moment of the year. As the reunion host, she balanced chaos with compassion — guiding six very different women through their grievances, reconciliations, and revelations.

“I prepared like anyone would — I dove into the series, loved every episode, and even kept some fun notes on my phone with quotes like ‘unemployed, unsuccessful, poisonous trolls,’” Katherine laughs. “I wanted to stay somewhat neutral but ask hard questions to help the ladies come out united for series two.”

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The Real Housewives of London, which premiered in August on Hayu, marks the streaming service’s first original British entry in the global franchise. The debut cast — Juliet Angus, Amanda Cronin, Karen Loderick-Peace, Juliet Mayhew, Panthea Parker and Nessie Welschinger — have already made their mark with a blend of luxury, laughter and layered drama that’s very London. The series offers an opulent yet surprisingly raw look at friendship, status and reinvention in the capital.

Juliet Angus brings her fashion sense and social-media savvy to the group, while former model and beauty entrepreneur Amanda Cronin offers glamour with edge. Karen Loderick-Peace — known from earlier UK Housewives instalments — grounds the cast with family life and fashion ambition. Australian-born Juliet Mayhew adds entrepreneurial grit; Panthea Parker delivers the outspoken energy and emotional honesty; and Nessie Welschinger, the youngest of the group, juggles business, motherhood and influence with refreshing candour.

Across the first season, the women have argued over loyalty, looks, lifestyles and, in one memorable case, borrowing clothes. Episode titles like “Alcohol & Ozempic” and “White Witches and Warm Champagne” hint at how quickly a champagne brunch can turn into a battleground. As the finale loomed, tensions simmered between Juliet, Amanda and Panthea — feuds that would inevitably resurface once Katherine sat them down under the studio lights.

“What surprised me most,” she admits, “was how fresh some of the drama still felt. Even though filming had wrapped, emotions were raw. Things like the legacy fallout between Juliet, Angus and Amanda, or Panthea’s arguments over trust and betrayal — these weren’t for show. Production sometimes had to step in just to de-escalate.”

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Ryan is quick to add, however, that the series isn’t all venom and Versace. “There were apologies and really soft moments,” she says. “A lot of these women have faced trauma or heartbreak. Their conflicts often revolve around trust, not just gossip. I saw genuine vulnerability — and that’s where the show gets really interesting.”

Balancing entertainment and empathy, Katherine describes hosting the reunion as equal parts diplomacy and crowd control. “It was like handling a late-night stand-up gig,” she grins. “You let people speak, but you also have to bring them back before it turns into shouting. I didn’t want to add to the noise — I wanted to get to the heart of why they were angry or hurt.”

Asked whether she ever had to stop herself from laughing, she nods. “Many times. I’m trained by toddlers to hold back laughter at chaos, but there were moments — especially the Ozempic conversations — where I was biting my lip. Still, those moments are raw for them. Despite the wealth and the clothes, these women are very authentic.”

Her approach clearly resonated. The Housewives reportedly arrived prepared — “with receipts, screenshots and even legal documents,” Katherine reveals — determined to show the world their unfiltered side. “They weren’t acting differently from how they appear on screen, just more open. They wanted to clarify things the cameras might have missed.”

The comic’s own background helped her stay composed amid the emotional crossfire. “Stand-up makes you fearless,” she says. “You learn to ask hard questions kindly and command a room even when you’re outnumbered. That skill was useful here.”

Katherine’s ability to disarm with humour and insight turned what could have been a screaming match into something more nuanced. Yet she still revelled in the wildness that makes the Housewives brand irresistible. “When Juliet called Amanda a ‘White Witch,’ I thought, that’s a brilliant insult. Creative! It’s like watching Shakespearean drama in Louboutins.”

Despite the fireworks, Katherine insists she felt little pressure. “In stand-up or TV, I never really get nervous. I’m just a fan of the Housewives, asking what everyone at home wants to know. I love both worlds — they’re exciting, but I feel peaceful in them.”

If she were a Housewife herself, she says her tagline would be: “I may serve mother, but deep down I’m the daddy.” Spoken with her signature smirk, it’s pure Katherine Ryan — witty, confident and unapologetically in charge.

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At home, she doesn’t host viewing parties. “My kids aren’t quite ready for the language,” she admits, “but I’m in a group chat with friends like Richard Curtis and Scarlett Curtis, where we send voice notes and reactions every Monday. It’s very passionate.”

Beyond the drama, what impressed her most was how The Real Housewives of London redefined what a British reality cast could look like. “They’re women over 40, ethnically diverse, and not concerned with men’s opinions,” Katherine says. “They’re layered, authentic, and have nothing to lose. That’s refreshing.”

Asked which Housewife she relates to, she doesn’t hesitate: “Karen. She’s funny, grounded, comes from a humble background, and stays poised despite family struggles. I see a lot of myself in her.”

And who’s her favourite to watch? “Panthea. She promotes the show daily on LinkedIn — which is hilarious and iconic. And she’s actually my neighbour!”

With her quick wit and no-nonsense warmth, Katherine Ryan may have just rewritten the Housewives reunion playbook — part therapist, part referee, part stand-up star. For a franchise built on glitz and grudges, she’s the perfect antidote: a sharp-eyed comedian who finds the humanity behind the high heels.

“London and Beverly Hills are my favourite franchises,” she says. “They both deliver glamour and chaos — but also heart. And that’s what makes the Housewives magic.”

Stream the final part of The Real Housewives of London reunion episode exclusively on Hayu from Monday 3 November

Katherine Ryan’s What’s My Age Again podcast is back for its second season

Adam Sandler and fellow actor and long-time friend Adam Kelly are co-starring in Jay Kelly, and George Clooney has revealed how insignificantly different he is from the person he portrays.

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His latest role is that of Jay Kelly, a huge Hollywood star on the downslope of his career… not that George Clooney can relate to any of that. The 64-year-old admits some fans have asked him where Jay Kelly ends and George Clooney begins. But he insists there are some crucial differences.

“He’s a d**k,” says George, laughing. “He’s like Frankenstein’s monster. You remember how Frankenstein’s monster kills the little girl by throwing her into the water because he’s run out of flowers to throw in and she’s there? “Everybody I go through, I happily destroy their lives along the way!” In the film, out later this month, Jay is bitter, divorced and lonely. His kids hate him and his friends – with the exception of agent Ron, played by George’s real-life friend Adam Sandler – are turning their backs on him.

By contrast, George is happy with his place in the world, both on-screen and off it. He adds: “I don’t really relate to this character because I don’t have anything like the regrets this guy has. “I have a very different life than he does. All the people that I’ve worked with, they still work with me. And you know, my kids like me.”

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His face softens as he thinks of the small twins, Ella and Alexander, that he and his wife Amal Clooney had in 2017. “I mean,” he adds, hastily turning any hint of sentimentality into a joke, “they’re eight. They could change. But at this point they still like me.”

Working with award-winning Marriage Story and Barbie director Noah Baumbach, George had a blast, as did Adam, the late director. He jokes with a sidelong grin as his buddy sits next to him and laughs throughout our conversation, “Everything I’ve ever done is an Adam Sandler film.” “I’ve made movies that weren’t even Adam Sandler movies,” he said. Laura Dern is another Jay Kelly fan.

She was there when George first began his acting career as the long-suffering publicist Liz of Jay. They co-wrote Grizzly 2 together, a horror movie about a bear who wanted to exact revenge on a group of poachers, in 1983, more than a decade before he gained fame as Dr. Doug Ross for the Emergency Room.

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The movie was largely disliked and didn’t release until 2020 due to various backstage reasons. Now, in mock-triumphant fashion, Laura remarks, “Our proudest moment.” Listen, I’ve been doing this for 40 years, George continues. I don’t recall seeing a movie as the movie you might have seen if I watch it now. As the set experience, in my opinion.

I’ll think about the friendships I made with the crew. Some of the worst movies you’ve ever made frequently feature some of your best friends. George was known as Hollywood’s final devoted bachelor for many years. He argued that his brief union to actress Talia Balsam from 1989 to 1993 had led to his placement.

Kelly Preston and Renee Zellweger, British model Lisa Snowdon, Italian actress Elisabetta Canalis, and French TV personality Celine Balitran were among his subsequent girlfriends, which established him as a global “love’em and leave’em operator. He claimed that he never considered becoming a father and that he had won a $10,000 wager with Nicole Kidman and Michelle Pfeiffer, who both predicted that he would have children by the age of 40.

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Then, with British-Lebanese activist and activist Amal Alamuddin, a friend and him visited him at his home in Lake Como, Italy, one summer evening. When George glanced at her, his socks fell off and went into space. The Clooneys and their twins are currently Hollywood’s happiest families.

George, in all his natural ways, lightly adopts the image of a newlywed family man. He recently said to me, and I made a clear choice. Now, Amal would be asked, “Did she pick right?” But I made the right choice. He claims that Jay Kelly’s decision to make him consider the merits of fame for a while. He says, “Fame is a funny thing.” You have the chance to complete the projects you want to finish.

“But you run into it like a bug into the light and are immediately zapped when you arrive there.” You do want it, after all, but holy s*** there are many more pieces that play.

George always makes a point when he explains that he didn’t get a Hollywood silver spoon in his mouth at birth. Although his father, Nick, was well-known as a local television host and host in his hometown of Lexington, Kentucky, and his beloved aunt Rosemary was well-known as a singer in the 1950s, he didn’t become famous until he was in his 30s.

He had a real sense of perspective up until then as he worked a variety of different jobs to make ends meet. He claims that he once watched Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous when I was a young man and used to work as a young man.

And I would watch it when some well-known actor would complain about their life, and I would say, “F*** you, I’m cutting tobacco.” I don’t find any excuses for complaining about being famous, or what I should do about it.

That brass ring was caught by me. I had a lot of success in both my career and my life, and having the ability to make movies like this has been very fortunate. And I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity to play Jay Kelly. I’m 64 years old, so these things don’t happen very often.

There are things you can’t do, and there are limitations to fame, “yes.” However, you are aware that cigarette smoking is much worse.

The Duke of Sussex will feel “a lot of sympathy” for his cousins given the ongoing scandal involving their father, according to a royal expert, who also claims Meghan may want to stay out of Meghan’s view.

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As the royal family continues to reel from one of its biggest scandals in decades, the Duke of Sussex is said to be “very concerned” about his cousins, princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. The sisters, 37 and 35, have been dragged into the storm surrounding their parents’ links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year jail sentence for sex trafficking.

King Charles, 76, has begun a formal process to remove Prince Andrew’s titles, with the former duke, 65, now being known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, 66, has also lost her duchess title amid the latest allegations about their friendship with the disgraced financier – and the pair will be evicted from their home on the Windsor estate. The fallout has left their daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie – who will retain their titles – caught in the crossfire.

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According to royal expert Duncan Larcombe, California-based Prince Harry, 41, will have huge sympathy for his cousins, who have always had a “massive soft spot” for him. “Harry has always been close to Beatrice and Eugenie,” says Duncan. “They didn’t see a massive amount of each other growing up because they didn’t live very close to each other, but they’d always get together for Christmas at Sandringham.”

However, according to Duncan, the 44-year-old Duchess of Sussex may have a different opinion of the situation. There is a disconnect between Meghan and him, he claims. At Beatrice’s 18th birthday, the pair were photographed together because the Jeffrey Epstein situation is “extremely sensitive, especially in America,” according to Weinstein, “and of course Epstein.”

Meghan will be very aware of the sensitivities because she is very media-conscious. She will keep her distance because she doesn’t want to be portrayed as too sympathetic toward them. She might not object to Harry supporting them privately, but they will appear on completely different pages, in my opinion.

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He believes that the Sussexes will be “unified on one issue.” Harry and Meghan will not want to appear to be Sarah Ferguson or Andrew Ferguson. Meghan might see it as a commercial thing, but Harry might see it as an emotional one.

Sarah Ferguson is no longer a duchess, as a result of Andrew’s surrender of his Duke of York title last month. He made the announcement days before Virginia Giuffre, one of the most well-known accusers of Epstein and Maxwell and the girl in the now-infamous photo that sparked Andrew’s fall from grace, made the announcement.

Six months after Virginia committed suicide, an allegation in Nobody’s Girl claimed that she had three sexual encounters with Andrew after Maxwell and her husband Maxwell introduced her to him in 2001.

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In a statement about his Duke of York title, Andrew said “the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family ” and that he would therefore “no longer use” the title. He also stressed that he “vigorously” denied all the accusations against him.

Then last week, that was followed by a statement from Buckingham Palace that read, “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

He has been given legal protection to remain in residence as a result of his lease on Royal Lodge. He will move to another private accommodation after receiving a formal notice to renounce the lease.

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Prince William had also been caught up in the controversy, with reports that he tried to use Beatrice and Eugenie’s own royal titles as leverage to get them to encourage their father to move out of Royal Lodge.

In a bid to persuade Andrew to leave, William “put a little pressure” on the two sisters, according to journalist Emily Maitlis, who conducted the Newsnight interview with Andrew in 2019 and insisted that he had never met Virginia Giuffre.

They are currently permitted to be princesses, but there was some pressure, as she explained in a conversation on her News Agents podcast.

Kensington Palace denied that a meeting took place and told the Daily Mirror that it was erroneous to suggest William had the authority to remove anyone’s titles.

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Harry, who resigned as a working royal in 2020, is more sympathetic to Beatrice and Eugenie, who find themselves caught between the royal family’s working members and their parents, in Duncan’s opinion.

He claims that he will feel a lot of sympathy for Eugenie and Beatrice because they are victims of the House of York’s horrifying unraveling. Their parents’ involvement in the press for all the wrong reasons is not their fault, but it also places them under enormous pressure.

Beatrice was one of the few members of the royal family who kept in touch with Harry and supported him in making his own decisions when he traveled to America.

Harry will be very concerned about their behavior and how they are handling the situation. Harry will understand how painful the family’s apparent implosion is because they are very, very publicly imploding, which makes it especially painful for those affected by the fallout.