British Comedy Guide

Katherine Ryan pilots anti-Fboy dating show Canuck Boy Island

ExclusiveFriday 30th June 2023, 8:24am by Jay Richardson

Katherine Ryan
  • Katherine Ryan is piloting Canuck Boy Island, a parody of US dating reality series FBoy Island, in which women are invited to ditch womanising British men for hunky, dependable Canadians
  • Ryan has shot a taster with her Canadian husband Bobby Kootstra and producer Phil Mount in the couple's own garden
  • "We shot an amazing treatment ... I think the taster's really funny" Ryan said

Katherine Ryan is piloting a funny dating reality series, in which women are invited to ditch womanising British men for hunky, dependable Canadians.

With a nod to US series FBoy Island, Ryan and her Canadian husband Bobby Kootstra have shot a taster tape for Canuck Boy Island at their own house.

Conceived while talking to listeners on her Telling Everybody Everything podcast, the stand-up told them "it had been an incredible week in the Ryan-Kootstra household. We shot ... an amazing treatment for Canuck Boy Island.

"It's not Fuck Boy Island ... Six gorgeous girls ditch British fuck boys to come with me to Canada to meet proper rugged Canuck boys. We shot it in my backyard with one of my top three favourite production companies. Definitely my favourite person, [Potato creative director] Phil Mount, to whom my book is dedicated.

"We're pitching around ideas for this Canuck Boy Island, so watch this space. I think the taster's really funny. We had Bobby shirtless, there's some slow-mo, there's some golf. He caught some fish in one scene. I'm in the swimming pool, it's great ... We did a lot of work."

Hosted by US comedian Nikki Glaser, FBoy Island has run for two series on HBO Max, with a third upcoming on the CW Network, alongside a spin-off, FGirl Island.

The show focuses on three female contestants and 24 male counterparts, aged between 22 and 35. Of the men, 12 are self-professed "Nice Guys", while the other half identify as "FBoys", the former being interested in forming a relationship and splitting the $100,000 prize, while the latter are competing for all of the prize.

In each episode, three men are chosen to be eliminated and afterwards reveal if they are a Nice Guy or not. Eliminated Nice Guys are sent to a mansion called "Nice Guy Grotto" in a limousine, while the FBoys, sometimes called "Lotharios", are sent to "Limbro".

Ryan married her high school sweetheart Kootstra after reconnecting with him while making the ancestry series Who Do You Think You Are?, and the couple are currently appearing on Celebrity Gogglebox together. She previously worked with Mount on ITV2's dating reality show Ready To Mingle.

A League Of Their Own. Image shows left to right: Maisie Adam, Jill Scott, Katherine Ryan

The Canadian comic has also just shot The Lionesses, a League Of Their Own special for Sky Max with fellow stand-up Maisie Adam and former England international Jill Scott.

Airing on 12th July, eight days before the month-long Women's World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand, the show sees dedicated football fan Adam and novice Ryan coached by Scott, finding out what it takes to become a world-beating player.

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