Nadia Sawalha has revealed she is pursuing legal action against ITV, claiming she was pushed out of Loose Women because of her publicly expressed support for Palestine. The veteran broadcaster, who was part of the original Loose Women panel when the programme debuted in 1999, has not appeared on the daytime show since April. In a video shared with her followers on Instagram, Sawalha alleged that she had been treated unfairly due to what she described as her “protected beliefs”.

Explaining her decision to take legal action, the 61-year-old said she had tried to resolve the matter privately before involving lawyers.

She said: “Before I say anything else, I want to say how sad I am that it has got to this. Believe me, I have appealed to ITV's hearts and minds but to no avail.”

Sawalha confirmed that her legal representatives at the European Legal Support Centre had formally contacted ITV regarding her allegations.

“My legal team at ELSC [European Legal Support Centre] have today written to ITV alleging that I have been treated unlawfully due to my protected beliefs. Now before I say anything else, I want to say how sad I am that it has got to this. Believe me, I have appealed to ITV's hearts and minds but to no avail.”

According to Sawalha, difficulties began after she publicly voiced support for Palestine in 2023. She claimed the decision led to increasing criticism and pressure from outside groups, which she believes influenced her position on the programme.

She alleged that after speaking out, she became the subject of “an escalating campaign of smears, complaints, hostile media coverage and targeted calls” for her removal from Loose Women.

The presenter also claimed her appearances on the ITV show became inconsistent following the controversy.

“And since then, ITV have taken me on and off Loose Women a number of times,” she alleged. “I've mostly been told that the reason for this was, and I quote: ‘It's all a bit noisy out there for us.’”

Sawalha further alleged that ITV received a lengthy letter from a number of prominent pro-Israel figures in the media, urging executives not to bring her back to the programme. She said she was never given access to the document or an opportunity to respond to the allegations it contained.

Discussing her treatment by the broadcaster, she claimed: “ITV have continued to take me on and off Loose Women, continuing to change the goal posts whilst also saying they couldn't guarantee they wouldn't take me off again as it would depend on what was said.

“Even though I am hired for being an opinionated women on a discussion show and I have never spoken about Palestine directly on the show.”

Earlier in the week, Sawalha hinted that she would address her prolonged absence from Loose Women, telling followers she planned to explain the situation. However, she later delayed the statement by a day, citing “legal reasons”.

Her comments come amid reports that ITV executives have been divided over her future on the programme. Earlier this summer, reports suggested concerns had been raised regarding content on the YouTube channel she hosts alongside her husband, Mark Adderley. It was also reported that senior ITV figures had received a dossier calling for her removal from the show. Sawalha says she has not been given the document to challenge the allegations.

ITV has not publicly responded to Sawalha's latest allegations.

‍