Katherine Ryan feels 'grief and relief' over Brand guilty verdict

Comedian Katherine Ryan has said she feels "grief and relief" after Russell Brand was convicted of rape and sexual assault.

The stand-up said there are "a lot of women speaking privately and quietly" following the verdict, who feel "a very nuanced mix of emotions".

In 2022, the Canadian comic made headlines when she called out a male co-star on a TV set for being a "sexual predator". Although she did not name him, it was assumed she was referring to Brand.

Brand, 51, is facing years in prison after being found guilty of one rape and three sexual assaults.

Discussing her feelings on the guilty verdict on her Telling Everybody Everything podcast, Ryan said it made her feel "emotional, in awe of the survivors who also had nothing to gain".

"They came forward despite Russell Brand having fame, power, money, and a legion of fans ready to attack them."

She added: "I will never be someone who like, dances on graves. There has been some justice done today. There's a level of relief, but there's grief alongside relief.

"Everything's nuanced, and it was proved in court that a terrible thing happened, and that means that a terrible thing happened.

"I just think again and again about people who have been hurt, and who have to carry that, who've carried that around long enough, and will continue to carry that in some way, regardless of what justice is done.

"This verdict came because women were hurt, and I worry as well about what happens next.

"Because he's obviously spent a long time cultivating this idea that the establishment have invented these claims against him, and he's martyred himself to a growing audience who really still think that it is the courageous survivors who are the villains in this story.

"I just... I don't know if you can podcast from jail. I hope not."

She continued: "Today there are a lot of women speaking, like the way we always do, privately and quietly, the way we've learned to do, to avoid being attacked and to keep each other safe, and a lot of those women feel a very nuanced mix of emotions today."

Ryan also criticised the actions of Brand's barrister, who vented his anger at a female journalist outside the courtroom.

Ian Winter KC confronted Sunday Times journalist Rosamund Urwin, whose investigation led to Brand's victims coming forward, saying: "I hope you are pleased with yourself."

Ms Urwin responded: "I'm pleased justice has been done," to which Mr Winter replied: "Well, it wasn't. You f***** it."

"Congratulations," he added.

Ryan said: "That was so unprofessional, so inappropriate, so aggressive. Really sickening."

On Friday, Winter reported himself to the Bar Standards Board following the altercation.

Ryan's remarks came as Georgina Baillie, who was the focus of the Sachsgate scandal, told the Daily Mail that "justice has been served" following Brand's conviction.

Ms Baillie found herself in the spotlight in 2008 when Brand and comedian Jonathan Ross left lewd messages about her liaison with Brand on her grandfather Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs's answerphone during a BBC radio programme.

After Thursday's verdict, she said: "Although he never raped or assaulted me, as I have always said I didn't know what happened in the privacy of the rooms that the victims and Russell were in and their evidence was compelling.

"He has been found guilty and I now want Russell to right the wrongs.

"Owning up would be the first part of the amends and the second part would be whatever measures are necessary to put these girls back together."

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Ms Baillie said Brand had paid for her rehab and medical bills during her struggle with addiction after the broadcast.

Meanwhile, TV star Bear Grylls said the comedian's conversion to Christianity "seemed genuine" when he attended his private baptism in early 2024, as he spoke on social media following Brand's conviction.

Grylls, who is a Christian, wrote on X: "Brand's faith seemed genuine to me at the time when I was a guest at his private baptism.

"I have attended a few now. Even visiting in prisons with people who have committed terrible crimes."

He added: "It is right that justice has now been served. I can't imagine how hard this time has been for the victims, the heroes of the day."

(c) Sky News 2026: Katherine Ryan feels 'grief and relief' over Brand guilty verdict