Nadia Sawalha is reportedly taking legal action against ITV after being dropped from Loose Women. The actress and TV personality, 61, debuted on the daytime show as one of its original panellists from 1999 to 2002. Following a break to pursue other television endeavours, she returned to the programme in 2013 and remained a regular, appearing most weeks until April 2026.
Sawalha was temporarily and ultimately permanently sidelined, she has said, due to her vocal support of Palestinian people, activism which began in December 2023. This week, speaking at the Ethnicity Awards in London on Thursday, she reportedly revealed her plans to sue the network for unlawful treatment.
Announcement at Ethnicity Awards
As quoted by the Daily Mail, she said at the event: 'I'm officially not on Loose Women anymore, as of four weeks ago. I'm taking ITV to court. It's a mountain of tension.'
A source added to the publication that Sawalha was 'not trying to keep it quiet'. They claimed she was 'speaking loudly just outside the press room about taking ITV to court, and there was no mistaking what she said'. 'She then went on stage and made her feelings about Palestine clear in front of the entire room.'
Sawalha is reported to have presented a prize, at which point she told attendees: 'How many dry awards ceremonies have we been to? The food was spicy, the jokes were spicy – I needed this tonight. I needed to be with people with like-minded hearts and souls and with many who would also like to free Palestine, I imagine.'
Sawalha was also nominated for the publicly voted broadcaster, journalist or host award, which her former Loose Women colleague Charlene White won. White did not attend.
Legal action and allegations
The claims of court proceedings come after Sawalha discussed her exit from Loose Women on the Zeteo UK podcast launch. Speaking to host Sangita Myska in September, she recalled an ITV boss telling her, 'It's all a bit noisy out there for us', which she deemed an attempt to silence her. She also said co-stars and guests would not support her publicly but would whisper to thank her for speaking up.
Explaining her plans to take matters further, Sawalha confirmed she had launched legal action against ITV, alleging discrimination and unlawful treatment, despite awareness of potential consequences. 'I know that taking ITV to court means I will never work on television again,' she said. 'And I accepted that is what I had to do.'
Sawalha posted an Instagram video in August, in which she said she'd become 'the target of an escalating campaign of smears, complaints, hostile media coverage, and targeted calls to have [her] removed from Loose Women'. She said she was taken 'on and off' Loose Women 'a number of times', due to 'speaking out against brutal oppression'. This was despite her being 'hired for being an opinionated woman on a discussion show' and never speaking about Palestine 'directly' on the programme.
Legal letter and ITV response
Her legal team at the European Legal Support Centre said they had written to ITV. In a 'pre-action letter', her lawyers alleged that ITV subjected her to 'direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, and harassment because of her protected philosophical beliefs, namely her anti-Zionist beliefs, which are protected under the Equality Act 2010'.
They argue that she was 'treated less favourably than other ITV presenters who faced significant public complaints', which they said raises 'serious concerns about equality in the workplace, and the treatment of those who speak out for Palestinian rights'.
'Nadia is calling on ITV to apologise and provide assurances that she will not be removed from future programmes because of her lawful speech on Palestine,' they added.
ITV has not publicly addressed the latest developments, but an ITV source told The Mail on Sunday that the broadcaster was 'not aware' of any legal proceedings. The insider did confirm: 'She sent a legal letter to us, and we have responded.' ITV and reps for Nadia Sawalha have been contacted for comment.
