Former Loose Women star Saira Khan has spoken out about the online reaction to Bonnie Blue, insisting that people should be “very careful” about tearing women down on social media.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Star at The Employee Network Awards 2026, Saira arrived at the InterContinental London Park Lane on September 25 to celebrate people driving diversity, equity and inclusion across UK workplaces.
Empathy over judgment
While admitting she does not always keep up with every viral name, Saira made her position clear on the pile-ons that often follow women like Bonnie Blue. She told the Daily Star: “For women, I think it’s very easy to put each other down, just by our actions, by what we look like, by what we do.
“I’m at that stage now in my mid-50s where I think you’ve got to give people a chance.” Asked about controversial social-media headlines more broadly, Saira said it is wrong to judge someone without knowing what they have been through.
She said: “On social media, you don’t see the whole context; you don’t see the whole story. We don’t know about her mental health; we don’t know what she’s been through.”
Lessons from Caroline Flack
“I think also after the Caroline Flack situation, I think we all have to be very careful about making judgments on people. So for me as a woman, I’d rather not make a judgment.”
Saira was at the event to present an award. On the red carpet, the TV favourite said her outlook comes down to empathy – and asking questions before judging.
Asked what questions she would ask Bonnie Blue if she could, Saira responded: “Tell me about your life. Tell me honestly. I’m genuinely interested in people’s lives… what makes them tick and why.”
Personal lessons
Asked about her own life and the lesson she has learned from her childhood, Saira said: “I think what I’ve learned is every obstacle that you face in life is making you stronger for when you get older. You know, some people go, ‘Oh, my life is this, my life is that, you know, I haven’t got money, I haven’t got the latest clothes, I haven’t got the latest shoes’.
“I think when you don’t have a lot in life as a child, it makes you quite creative, makes you resourceful, and it makes you work harder. And I know that I came from absolutely nothing, and I’m really honoured about that.
“I’m really proud of that because everything that I do from now on is better than what I had before. So I think that’s what I would say, is not to moan about your circumstances, but use it to make your life better.”
