Page 99 - Katherine Ryan press pack 2015-20

Media caption Katherine Ryan has five things you should not say to a comedian

A big part of Ryan's stand-up routine involves talking about being a single mum to her daughter
Violet, who she gave birth to not long after moving to London 10 years ago.

"I cannot say enough how much I recommend being a single mum," she jokes.

"She [Violet] is never interrupting an adult conversation, whereas sometimes my sisters and I would
want to say something and my mum would be like 'I'm talking to your father' and she doesn't have
that.

"She is very different to me, she had a different upbringing and like every generation we make
adjustments and we evolve.

She explains: "My mother grew up with a mother who would tie a string around her waist every day
to remind her not to eat too much from being a child.

"I'm from a generation in the middle and Violet is hopefully from a generation of little girls and boys
who play together and understand gender fluidity where girls can be superheroes and boys can wear
dresses if they want.

"I don't worry about her having the same types of damaging messages that I had. She sees her mum
working all the time so I think she will be alright."

Ryan chooses not to share her daughter's image on social media, which means it's a bit of a surprise
for the audience on the first night of her tour when Violet comes on stage to introduce the show.

"I don't share Violet's image online, only because it's weird - it's not because I'm on television, I never
shared her image even when I worked in an office in Holborn," she says.

"But if Violet wants to go on stage and go out and say [imitating her daughter's posh English accent]:
'Hello everyone, welcome to the show, here's what's going to happen, no phones...'