Former The Apprentice star Saira Khan has given her damning verdict on this year's candidates, saying they need a 'kick up the bum'. In an exclusive interview with HELLO! Magazine, the businesswoman – who was runner-up in the first ever series – said she is unimpressed with the current crop on the BBC One reality show. Inviting the HELLO! into her home near Oxford, 46-year-old Saira, who has just launched an organic face oil called Fruits of Kashmir, inspired by her mother's Himalayan heritage, said: "There's nobody that makes me think, 'Wow, you're fantastic.' All this year's girls are too lame, lack confidence and need a kick up the bum. When I took part, I was loud, competitive and took the bull by the horns. I wanted to win."
Saira opened up about her own time on the show
While Saira was famed for being outspoken during her time on The Apprentice, it has sometimes landed her in hot water. During the interview, the mum-of-two recalled a time she caused a furore on national television when she revealed on Loose Women in May that she had given her husband permission to sleep with other women because she'd lost her sex drive. "It was a classic case of me not thinking before I spoke,” she said. "But my bold comment prompted us to get our love life back on track."
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Saira is a doting mum-of-two
Saira, who is married to internet marketing manager Steve Hyde, is a doting mum to son Zac, eight, and five-year-old daughter Amara, who she adopted from Pakistan when the little girl was just four days old. Exlaining what success means to her, and how it has nothing to do with money, the TV personality said: "It has nothing to do with money, but everything to do with the fact my childhood dream was to become a mum. Family is so important, especially as I wasn't even sure we could have children. Everything I do is for them, not me." On adopting, Saira added: "I knew from a young age I wanted to adopt. My dad used to talk about adopting. Running through my family's DNA is a desire to help others. We get more pleasure from giving tahn taking."
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When Saira and Steve first met Amara, she was so ill that there was only a slim chance of survival. Recalling the first time she held her daughter, Saira said: "When I looked into her eyes I could see her determination. I just knew from the first time I saw her she was meant for me." Glowing with paternal pride, Steve told HELLO!: "Not a day goes by when Amara doesn’t light up my heart. She grounds me, keeps me focused and has made me express my emotions." The family are hoping to expand their family in the future, with Saira revealing their plans to adopt a toddler. "Zac and Amira keep asking for a little brother of sister so next time, we'll adopt a toddler. Our family means the world to us and we've got so much more love to give," she said.