Ruth Langsford

Saira Khan has candidly revealed why quit Loose Women as she claimed she was “treated unfairly” and received death threats during her time on the ITV chat show

Saira Khan has revealed why she really left Loose Women after Nadia Sawalha claimed she’s been dropped by ITV.

The former Apprentice star, 56, joined the ITV chat show in 2015 and spent five years debating live on air alongside the likes of Ruth Langsford, Coleen Nolan and Nadia Sawalha but eventually made the tough decision to leave the high-paying TV job after even her children had started to realise she had been treated “unfairly” during the height of her fame.

She said: “When you’re new, it’s really hard because it’s such a clique. You’ve got to prove yourself. But I aligned myself to Coleen and Ruth pretty quickly because I could relate to them. It was a hard decision to leave because I’d done it for a long time. No matter what you give to the media, you don’t get the thanks back, there’s no loyalty and you can be dropped. I saw people giving less but getting more. My kids said, ‘You’re not being treated fair, mum.’

“As a parent, I had to show that you don’t stick around. It doesn’t matter how good the job is. Financially, it was really hard to say goodbye to that.” Saira also claimed that because she was expected to be the one on the panel to talk about tough political subjects, she ended up receiving death threats.

She said: “The problem is, for someone like me, I then get stereotyped. ‘Oh, we’re talking about terrorism, bring Saira in, we’re talking about grooming gangs, bring her in.’ But I couldn’t do any of the fun stuff. So if you keep bringing me out talking about that stuff, that is stereotyping.

“I’d run two marathons, I like to snowboard, I’ve travelled around the world. None of that was ever explored. So people thought I was gobby and opinionated and a one-trick pony.

“I got death threats. Honestly, my husband was really scared for me. I got quite a few death threats and and I just said, ‘Steve, if I get shot the head for something I believe in, that’s my fate. I can’t do anything about that.”

Saira, who is married to Steve Hyde and has Zac, 18, as well as 15-year-old Amara with him, also co-hosted The Martin Lewis Money Show before going on to take part in in Dancing On Ice and Celebrity Big Brother during her her mainstream television career.

Elsewhere in the chat, Saira, who now focuses on managing her skincare business, admitted that she thrilled that neither of her children want to pursue a career in the spotlight after her own tumultuous experience.

Speaking on the Nolans Uncensored podcast, she explained: “Both of my kids have no interest in the media and I think it’s because of what they saw me go through. I’m really happy about that. The industry is changing, for me I’ve always seen it as a business and because it doesn’t see itself as a business, it’s not in such a great place right now.”

Saira’s frank comments come just days after Nadia Sawalha, also a long-serving panellist on Loose Women, spoke out about her lengthy absence from the show and threatened legal action, claiming ITV bullied her out of her job.

The former EastEnders star, who has not been seen on the show since April despite previously appearing up to three times a week for years, thinks she is being targeted for speaking out for Palestinian rights and was worried that police officers could come knocking on her door.

She told The Mirror: “I accept that there is a huge risk I will never work in television again.”

Colleagues have offered Nadia support, but she claimed many are too scared to do so publicly. She said two well-known faces at ITV reacted to an Instagram video she posted on her threat to sue the network.

But Nadia added: “I deleted it because I don’t want these people to be phased out. I feel sad that there is an atmosphere of fear that if they were to be seen to be supporting me, their career could be at risk. I don’t believe for one second the head of daytime wanted me off that show, I feel for her.”

The Mirror has contacted ITV for comment

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Ruth Langsford congratulated her co-star at the start of Monday’s live programme

The host of Loose Women shared some exciting news during the latest live show.

Ruth Langsford took the reins on Monday (June 15), where she was joined by Lisa Riley, Sue Cleaver and Brenda Edwards in the ITV studio.

At the start of the programme, Ruth celebrated Lisa after she received an MBE in the King’s birthday honours. The Emmerdale actress is being recognised for her extensive services to drama and to charity.

Opening today’s Loose Women, Ruth said: “After first appearing in Emmerdale as a fresh-faced Mandy Dingle over 30 years ago, our fabulous Lisa has been recognised for her extensive services to drama and charity in this year’s King’s birthday honours list,” before the room erupted into applause.

Ruth continued: “Round of applause! Fantastic, how exciting! We’re so thrilled for you. How did you find out? When did you find out? How did you feel when you found out?”

Lisa replied: “Honestly, Ruth, this weekend has been absolutely incredible. So, I found out sort of late February. I’d been away with Al [Benković, her partner], we’d had a four-day weekend away and I opened the postbox and there was a very posh envelope. And when I say posh, I mean posh.

“It had my name on it and it said [that it] was from the King, and I was like, ‘Come on, this is an absolute wind up!’ I thought I was being pranked. Lo and behold, I opened it and it said for drama and for charity.”

The star went on: “I’m very blessed I’ve been doing a job I love in a world where I’ve been employed, touch wood, all my life, and I’m so grateful for that. To be honoured and also for people who got in touch with me, that’s been the craziest thing this weekend.

“I’ve had messages from people, like directors that I’ve worked with when I was like 21, and they’re just genuinely over the moon. At work, we have a Dingle WhatsApp group and every single one of the Dingles were like, ‘Go on girl! You’re doing it for the family!’

“Of course, I’m the first person ever at Emmerdale to have got anything like this, so I feel a bit royal!”

Ruth went on to say: “We’re buzzing for you, and actually, it was lovely [for you] to have both things, drama and charity. We know you do a lot for charities, in your mum’s name in particular… You absolutely deserve it.”

Lisa then shared a standout moment from her career away from the Dales, with the star being “forever grateful” her role in BBC drama Three Girls, which dramatised the events surrounding the Rochdale child sex abuse ring.

On what she’ll be wearing to pick up her MBE, Lisa added: “The frock’s going to be amazing, yeah. I’m going to go colour, you know I will. I’ll be taking my family… We’re told that it’s seven months from announcement that I’ll be going, and you don’t know whether you’ll get Windsor or Buckingham Palace.

“Fingers crossed, I really, really want [Prince] William. Is that selfish? I’d love William!”

Ruth noted: “I think he watches, so Your Highness…,” with Lisa adding: “Remember William, I’m a Dingle as well!” Lisa ended the conversation by thanking her co-stars for being her “cheerleaders”.

Loose Women airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 12.30pm