Katherine Ryan has explained why she called out Leonardo DiCaprio and James Argent for dating younger women, calling it ‘gross’ and ‘weird’.

The comedian, 39, has been outspoken about the two men in the past, making videos and tweets poking fun at them for their dating choices.

Now speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Katherine has stated that she’s happy to be the ‘poster woman’ for hitting out at older male celebrities with a penchant for dating younger partner because she hopes it will reach young women.

She began by insisting: ‘I don’t care at all about backlash or cancel culture. I do care about hurting people’s feelings, believe it or not.

‘I know that James Argent has had some rough times and I don’t want to heap criticism on someone who’s vulnerable.

‘But at the end of the day, I have somehow become the poster woman for rallying against grown men, powerful men, famous men dating teenagers. I didn’t choose that life, that life chose me.

‘I don’t think it’s controversial to say that’s gross or weird and I’m very happy to continue beating that drum for as long as it takes.’

She added: ‘And I’m not speaking to the men, because that’s who I get the backlash from, I get all these men in my messages going, “Oh sorry he’d rather date a Ferrari than an old banger and he doesn’t want you”, like I would ever give them the time of day!

‘But I’m not speaking to the men at all because I understand that there are a lot of people that find that age group attractive – I’m not going to solve that problem.

‘I’m speaking to the young women because I happen to have the ear of a lot of teenage girls and young women.

‘I look out at my audience and I have people my age, I have couples but I also have a lot of teenagers so even if one of them hears what I’m saying and goes, “Ew maybe that man is interested in me because he wants to boss me around or because women his age don’t talk to him, maybe I will give that a miss”.

She quipped: ‘I’m basically Leonardo DiCaprio trying to get to as many young women as I can.’

Previously Katherine blasted 34-year-old James for dating 18-year old actress Stella Turian.

TOWIE star James and Stella have been together for over eight months after meeting at a wedding in Mykonos last year.

They’re in a long-distance relationship because Stella, who’s 16 years Arg’s junior, lives in her native Italy while James resides in Buckhurst Hill, Essex.

Katherine took to her Instagram stories in a brutal way where she cuddled her baby daughter Fenna Grace, whilst giving the camera a moody looking stare.

‘Poster woman’: Now speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Katherine has stated that she’s happy to be the ‘poster woman’ for hitting out at older male celebrities with a penchant for dating teens because she hopes it will reach young women

Dig: Previously Katherine blasted 34-year-old James for dating 18-year old actress Stella Turian

Romance: They’re in a long-distance relationship because Stella, who’s 16 years Arg’s junior, lives in her native Italy while James resides in Buckhurst Hill, Essex

Striking: Katherine also  labelled Leo creepy on Twitter over his rumoured romance with model Eden Polani, 19

Katherine zoomed in on her unimpressed face in a video and captioned it: ‘Me – a mother – finding out a 35 Towie star has an 18 year old girlfriend.’

Katherine also labelled Leo creepy on Twitter over his rumoured romance with model Eden Polani, 19.

After the news broke about the actor, 48, who has a penchant for dating women under 25, she posted a series of bemused tweets about him.

When one fan asked the comedian what the ‘ crime ‘ was because Leo and Eden are both adults, she replied: ‘No crime just a creepy pattern.’

It came after she quote-tweeted a post which said: ‘Not enough people are talking about Leonardo DiCaprio who is almost 50- and ‘getting close’ to a 19 year old teenage girl’ and replied: ‘This is literally all I’ve talked about for SEVEN YEARS.’

She also wrote ‘uh huh’ in response to a separate tweet which read: ‘the power dynamic of his age, his wealth, and his fame over a 19 year old girl is actually repulsive.’

The star also quipped: ‘This year, Titanic became too old for Leonardo DiCaprio to be in it’ after author Caitlin Moran wrote: ‘I feel like he has Titantic trauma.

‘He’s dating women like he’s still the age he was when he shot it, and he’s ALWAYS on holiday on a yacht. Dude needs some EMDR.’

Elsewhere in the chat, Katherine opened up on how she finds it ‘fun’ to hit back at her trolls online.

She said: ‘It’s not hard for me to receive negativity at all, I really don’t mind, I’m so lucky that I don’t mind.

‘The only obstacle with clapping back is that the younger generation have taught me that some people aren’t mentally sound, and have other issues that contribute to them being trolls.

‘So anytime I’m clapping back its only fun for me if I check the person’s profile and I can make a judgement as to whether they might be struggling with something or are just nasty.

‘I try to only clap back at people who are habitually nasty and I think it’s really fun. And I think it sets an example not to take yourself too seriously and I don’t feel guilty because if they come for me they’re going to find real quick they’re coming for the wrong one.

She added: ‘It’s fun, it’s bullying in the right way.’

Ahead of the Oscars, Katherine is supporting Gousto’s Flavour That Pops campaign, featuring a new show-stopping menu of popcorn flavours, inspired by its best-selling recipes.

Clapping back: Elsewhere in the chat, Katherine opened up on how she finds it ‘fun’ to hit back at her trolls online

Campaign: Ahead of the Oscars, Katherine is supporting Gousto’s Flavour That Pops campaign, featuring a new show-stopping menu of popcorn flavours, inspired by its best-selling recipes

Speaking on the campaign, she said: ‘I love Gousto, we have a really organic relationship because my husband and I have been getting the recipe boxes since like 2018 or 2019, and it’s just delicious adventurous food that you cook a home and not every recipe box is like that.

‘This has us hooked, we don’t even order takeaway anymore, its been so good for the family, family mealtimes and I love that they do flavours that pop for the Oscars, because I stay home and I watch the Oscars with popcorn.

‘It’s a really good way to remind people about how much flavours there is at Gousto. So I was excited to collaborate on some of those flavours.’