Katherine Ryan "tried it on" with Professor Stephen Hawking before his assistant claimed his "tablet died" and he could no longer talk to her

However, it was the late theoretical physicist and cosmologist - who died in 2018 at the age of 76 and had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which causes a progressive loss of muscle control - she took a particular shine to because she thought he was a ladies man after watching a film about his life.

Katherine explained on the latest episode of the 'Nip Tuck' podcast with hosts Ashley Stobart and Lauren Adamson: "Well before Jimmy Carr's children were born, he used to have the most amazing parties.

"Like Brandon Flowers would be there. Woody Harrelson would be there, Professor Stephen Hawking, Monica Lewinsky, I met Kourtney Kardashian in Jimmy Carr's living room.

"He's like the London Gatsby. It was really fun.'

Ashley then asked: 'Stephen Hawking, yes, did he try it on with you?'

Katherine, 41, responded: "I tried it on with him because I saw in the film about him that he's kind of a ladies man.

"But then, quite hurtfully, he just kind of went quiet, and then his assistant came up and said, 'Oh, I'm sorry the professor's tablet has run out of battery. He can't talk to you anymore."'

A "mugged off" Katherine looked up to verify what his assistant said, but she found out that "if the chair is moving, the battery is working", meaning he could have continued to communicate with her if he'd been interested.

She said: "I was mugged off, and I know it.

"He truly is a genius, but then I googled it and there's a backup battery for the tablet in the chairs.

"So if the chair is moving the battery is working."

The comedienne entered a civil partnership with Bobby Kootstra in a ceremony in Denmark in 2019.

They have a son called Fred, three, a daughter named Fenna, two, and Katherine has a 15-year-old daughter called Violet from a previous relationship.

And Katherine has previouslyopened up on her hopes to expand her brood but admitted time is not on her side.

In the second series of their fly-on-the-wall U+W reality TV show 'At Home With Katherine Ryan', she said: "It's not that surprising that over-40 women have fewer follicles than we once did.

"But we talk a lot about male fertility as well, which is on a steep decline. But I would still like a fourth baby.

"We are so blessed to have the kids that we do have. Having children is not for everyone, but I personally really like making people. I think it's a superpower, if you can do it."