Katherine, 43, was appearing on Have I Got News For You in November 2025 when she made a comment about the celebrated singer. The quip came during a segment in which panellists were discussing a leaked email in which Victoria's former footballer husband David had reportedly used the C-word.

In response, Katherine said: "I don't know that we are allowed to broadcast the c-word, but you did reference Victoria Beckham earlier and we'll allow that."

Following the remark, a number of viewers lodged complaints with the BBC regarding Katherine's language. Subsequently, the BBC upheld a complaint concerning the joke Katherine made on the programme, after viewers alleged the "obscene term" employed had been "gratuitously offensive".

This led to the BBC removing the joke from the episode transmitted on November 7, 2025.

Since then, Katherine has addressed what happened via social media, a magazine feature, and in a direct approach to Victoria Beckham herself. In an Instagram post, she attempted to provide context regarding her state of mind at that moment.
She remarked: "I'm really sorry, sometimes the jokes don't land. At that time, though there is no defence, I was suffering from a condition called matrescence. I was in that building with a 10-day-old baby.

"Should I have left the house? This is gonna be a tough one for the feminists because I was a woman going to work but I did call another woman a C. Sometimes I forget that celebrities are not my friends."

Matrescence is a term coined by anthropologist Dana Raphael in the 1970s and describes the process of becoming a mother. She had just given birth to her fourth child when the episode was broadcast.

Alongside her social media post, Katherine has also addressed Victoria directly. Speaking to Heat magazine, Katherine expressed her hope that Victoria would recognise the comment was never meant to be taken seriously.

She said: "If Victoria had seen the broadcast, she would have known it was tongue-in-cheek. I never actually used the c-word – I was being cheeky while trying to wrap up a segment."

However, Katherine disclosed that the singer had contacted her personally to express her upset at the joke, prior to Katherine issuing an unreserved apology.

Katherine added: "Victoria reached out to me as soon as it happened and said she was offended. I unreservedly apologised and said, 'I love you and I'm really sorry. This is just how I am and I certainly didn't mean to hurt any feelings'."

The comedian confirmed that this was the last time she had heard from the former Spice Girl, with the pair yet to speak since. She went on to share her desire that she and Victoria could "patch things up one day".

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• photo: DAVID ROEMER/atelier management
• stylist: DANYUL BROWN/the only agency
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