Page 237 - Katherine Ryan press pack

Has she always had a thick skin?

"I was the only child in the history of the world that when your mother said, 'Oh those
bullies are just jealous', I believed her," she recalls.

"I've just always respected that everyone is entitled to dislike or like what you're
doing," she explains.

"But it's difficult now as a mother - my daughter will come home sometimes and say,

'Oh they made fun of my dance' and I'm like, 'Yeah, they're allowed not to like your
dance. Not everybody is going to like your dance'.

"I obviously don't want her to have her feelings hurt at school," she says. "But you do

need to be prepared that not everyone in the world is going to like you and that's fine.

"Not everyone likes Beyonce, which, to me, is unfathomable. But it's true."

With such candour, it's little wonder Ryan makes such a brilliant judge on Comedy
Central's Roast Battle.

Returning for a second series, the show - based on the US smash hit, Jeff Ross

Presents Roast Battle - will once again see a mixture of top comedians and new faces
going head to head in an attempt to 'take down' their opponent.

While host Jimmy Carr makes his welcome return, Ryan will be joined by a new face
on the judging panel, in the form of Jonathan Ross.

"It's such a perfect gig for Jonathan Ross because he's really respected by all the
comedians," Ryan reasons. "They all want to sit on the couch and be on The Jonathan
Ross Show one day and they've grown up watching him.

"And he's really funny," she says. "I think we forget, because he's Mr Late Night, that
he can be really edgy and really cutting as well."

As for the war of words between battlers - this season's line-up includes Chris
Ramsey, Angela Barnes, Alex Brooker and Rosie Jones - Ryan calls it a "language of
love".