Katherine Ryan worried that pregnancy announcement would hurt her career

Watch: Katherine Ryan announces pregnancy with second child

Comedian Katherine Ryan has admitted she worried that announcing her pregnancy would have a negative impact on her career.

The 38-year-old stand-up told fans she was expecting her second child — her first with husband Bobby Kootstra — just two weeks before baby Fred was born.

She admitted she held off telling people for months because she was concerned that there might be a knock-on effect for her work.

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"I was nervous, I thought that it might hurt my career. It’s difficult to ignore that there is still inequality," Ryan told Metro.

"People still assumed when they found out I was pregnant, that I’d be cancelling my autumn tour and they wouldn’t have said that if I was Fred’s dad.

"I wasn’t sure if I could feel safe telling people, but then when I told productions, they were so lovely and accommodating.

"Equality has come a long way in the television industry, no one was anything less than super, super lovely and accommodating for Fred so that was a huge relief."

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Ryan said she had received hundreds of messages from fans after her pregnancy announcement, questioning whether her tour would go ahead later this year.

She urged those fans to ask themselves whether they would pose the same question to male comics like Josh Widdicombe, Rob Beckett or Romesh Ranganathan when their wives fall pregnant.

"My pregnancy was a surprise to everyone else, but I knew. I planned the tour and I’m a reliable performer and I’m not going to cancel it now," she said.

Ryan's profile has exploded in recent years, with her sitcom The Duchess on Netflix as well as her comedy specials on the streaming platform: In Trouble and Glitter Room.

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She confessed it's "daunting" to go back on stage after a year on the sidelines due to the coronavirus pandemic, but said she expects "muscle memory" to kick in when the lights go on.

"You really feel a little bit like a beginner, but it’s like riding a bike," said the star.

Watch: Katherine Ryan talks about her comedy special