Katherine Ryan reacts to Russell Brand guilty verdict with ‘grief and relief’

The stand-up and TV star added there are “a lot of women speaking privately and quietly” following the verdict, who feel “a very nuanced mix of emotions”.

Ryan previously claimed in an interview with Louis Theroux that there was a “predator” in the entertainment industry.

She added that she could not name the male comic as it would be a “litigious minefield” but mentioned that she had been on a TV programme with him and told the individual he was a “predator” to “his face”.

Russell Brand is facing a long custodial sentence (James Manning/PA)

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It was widely speculated she was referring to her time on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle in 2018 alongside Brand, but the Canadian comic has not confirmed she was referring to Brand and has not named the show she was working on.

Reflecting on the guilty verdict on her podcast Telling Everybody Everything, Ryan said: “It really made me feel just quite dysregulated again, caught off-guard, 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.

Katherine Ryan paid tribute to courageous survivors (Lucy North/PA)

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“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 blasted the actions of Brand’s barrister, who launched into a tirade at a journalist outside the courtroom.

Ian Winter KC confronted Sunday Times journalist Rosamund Urwin, whose investigation led to Brand’s victims coming forward, telling her: “I hope you are pleased with yourself.”

Ms Urwin responded: “I’m pleased justice has been done,” before Mr Winter said: “Well, it wasn’t. You f***** it.”

“Congratulations,” he added.

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

During the trial, Mr Winter had argued that reporting of allegations against Brand by Ms Urwin and others had “poisoned the well”, and rendered it impossible for him to have a fair trial.

The trial judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, dismissed an attempt by Brand to block his trial from taking place because of negative media coverage.

Brand is facing years behind bars after being found guilty of one rape and three sexual assaults.