Her sunny personality lit up the Loose Women panel for five years. And now, as she moves on to pastures new after leaving the daytime show, Saira Khan is delighted to announce that she is teaming up with HELLO! to spread some joy.
The TV presenter and entrepreneur is the new face of HELLO! Good News, our uplifting weekly feature launched during the first lockdown to bring readers much-needed positive news stories from around the world in a bid to raise spirits during the pandemic.
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"I feel super proud to be part of this – it's so important to focus on the positives in a time like this," Saira says in our exclusive interview. "For me, good news is anything that touches my emotions and makes me stop and reflect on what I've just seen, heard, read or felt. It means less fear and more love. I love hearing personal stories I can learn from."
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After bidding farewell to Loose Women at the start of the year, fans noticed that she unfollowed some of the show's fellow presenters on Instagram and she has since hinted there were some of her former co-hosts she only tolerated for the job.
Saira Khan spoke exclusively to HELLO!
Opening up about her exit, Saira tells HELLO!: "There were elements both on screen and behind the scenes of being a Loose Woman that towards the end I didn't enjoy and I didn't feel it was part of the sisterhood. It wasn't making me happy, so I had to bow out, look after my mental health and give someone else my platform.
"I had a great five years and I did what I wanted to do with my platform, which was share my stories and experiences being from a minority background. There's nothing more I can say that's new."
The TV star left Loose Women after five years
"I'm adamant that my place on the panel goes to a woman who is part of the LGBTQ community," she says. "I want to know what it's like for a young gay woman to come out and the prejudice she may have experienced. It will inspire others and give another perspective."
To read the full article, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale now. Subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.