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Saira Khan admits live on Loose Women she was sexually abused at 13

The TV presenter revealed she only told her mother and brother about what happened after the relative died

Saira Khan was discussing Mukhtar Mai, the gang rape survivor from Pakistan who walked the fashion runway earlier this week.

The Loose Women panellist shockingly confessed: “This woman inspired me. I want any woman out there who’s going through what I went through at 13, a male member of my family… He’s died now, he came in and did things.

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“It is not culturally or religiously acceptable. It is wrong. This woman is a voice. It happens every day.”

“[Mai] inspired me to talk about something that is wrong. If any young woman or child is going through something that someone is touching them without permission, it is wrong. Get help.

“It is not culturally or religiously acceptable. It is wrong. This woman is a voice. It happens every day.”

As Saira got upset, host Nadia Sawalha, Linda Robson and Anne Diamond rallied around her and Saira said: “I wasn’t expecting to say that.”

Host Nadia admitted: “I am speechless.”

The Celebrity Big Brother contestant added: “Culturally I couldn’t speak about it. We’re seen as the ones who inspired it in the first place.

“My mum was amazing years later. I talk about it now because this man is dead and I feel like I’ve got one over on him but this woman’s story today inspired me not to make it a private thing.”

Linda told her: “You’ve given other women the strength.”

It was then that Saira had to walk off the Loose Women set, while Nadia moved on to talk about a different topic.

Saira returned after a commercial break and the panellists read out a few of the tweets that had been sent into the show.

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One person tweeted: “The utter level of respect for this women on @loosewomen today is beyond me! Saira you are an inspiration!”

“Big hugs to Saira. Such a brave lady. Had me in tears hearing her story,” someone else said.

Sending you huge hugs too, what a brave woman.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor