Saira Khan reveals she is QUITTING Loose Women after five years

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Saira Khan has announced she is leaving Loose Women after five years on the panel, just two weeks after fellow panellist Andrea McLean departed from the show.

The TV personality, 50, explained her ‘difficult’ decision in her column for The Mirror on Saturday, saying the coronavirus crisis made her ‘reassess her priorities’.

Detailing how she felt she had ‘nothing left to share’, Saira claimed she now wants to focus on her skincare brand and other projects.

Saira wrote: ‘Many people, including myself, have rediscovered the importance of putting our lives into perspective. 

‘We’ve been able to look at what’s really important to us. It has certainly made me assess my priorities, values and how I want to move forward with my life.

‘So I start this new year by saying goodbye to Loose Women. After five years of being a regular panellist, I’ve decided to give up my seat to another woman who will benefit from the platform as I did.’

Claiming that it felt like she was ‘graduating’ from University, she said she was keen to pursue other opportunities in life so she thought it was the right time to ‘bow out’.

Saira told fans that she had shown people she was ‘an opinionated, strong woman’, and said that the Covid crisis has simply helped her realise, like many others, that her job no longer gave her satisfaction. 

The TV personality concluded her column by urging viewers to look after themselves mentally and physically, and to ‘find your balance’, as a job won’t do that for them.  

Saira lives in Oxford with her husband Steve Hyde, they share two children Zac, 12, and Amara, nine, who they adopted from Pakistan in 2011. 

The presenter joined the hit ITV show in 2015, prior to this she had finished as a runner-up on the first series of The Apprentice in 2005.   

Saira isn’t the only panellist to leave the show recently, as last month, Andrea broke down in tears as she hosted her final Loose Women show.

The presenter, 51, was left struggling to hold it together as her co-stars Coleen Nolan, Janet Street-Porter and Judi Love hosted a special edition of the ITV show saying goodbye to her after 13 years.

And it wasn’t just Andrea who was left teary during her last day as viewers at home were also emotional, with one fan claiming they were ‘bawling their eyes out’.

After managing to keep her composure throughout the show, it was a compilation of her best bits that set Andrea off, as she looked back on all of her big moments. 

The star, who is the longest-serving Loose Woman, was left wiping her eyes as she looked back at emotional reveals, A-list interviews and plenty of laughs during her time anchoring the talk show.

However, when fellow Loose Woman and singer Brenda Edwards surprised her with a special rendition of My Girl, the tears really began to fall.

A sobbing Andrea dabbed her tears with a tissue as Brenda serenaded her, after previously lying that she wouldn’t be able to make her final day. 

Speaking at the end of the show, Andrea said: ‘Can I just say, being on Loose Women is like a real-life soap opera… there are highs, there are lows, there is drama, there is everything. 

‘I am like the landlady of the Rovers’ Return, I am just handing over my bar but I will be back for my Chardonnay, that’s all I am saying!’

Taking to Twitter, fans at home also shared their sadness at Andrea’s final day on Loose Women, with many left close to tears. 

‘Can tell I’m hormonal I’m crying at loose women! Goodbye Andrea thanks for sharing the ups and downs, good luck for your future’ commented one fan.  

While another shared: ‘Sitting in my living room bailing my eyes out at Andrea leaving loose women, don’t think the spice girls playing in the back ground is helping! I feel like my best pal is leaving me.’ [sic] 

‘Well that was emotional’ tweeted a third watcher.

‘Why am I crying at Loose women?’ sobbed a fourth fan.

With another admitting: ‘I don’t watch #loosewomen often but even I’m blubbing.’

Throughout Andrea’s final show, she was surprised with special guests appearances and emotional messages from friends and colleagues including Ben Shepherd, Denise Welch and Linda Robson.

While the likes of Richard Arnold, Piers Morgan, Stacey Solomon, Nadia Sawalha, Ruth Langsford, Holly Willoughby, Lorraine Kelly and Susanna Reid also appeared. 

With Coleen taking over the helm, a bewildered Andrea said: ‘It’s really weird, it’s like coming to your own wedding and your own funeral at the same time because you are excited, you are all dressed up but I have no idea what is happening today!’ 

One big surprise included Joey Essex, who she famously pied in 2017, appearing via video link, where he proceeded to pie himself.

He said to his ‘favourite Loose Woman’: ‘This pie would be going in your face, but do you know what, it is going to go in mine for today!’

While Andrea was also stunned as Janet presented her with a goodbye card, after having never received a card from her before. 

In November, Andrea revealed she will be leaving Loose Women at the end of this year after appearing on the lunchtime programme for 13 years.

The TV presenter broke down in tears as she shared the news that she would be stepping away from the panel show in order to focus on other projects.

The star admitted the reason behind her departure was linked to her nervous breakdown last year, as she revealed it made her question whether she was ‘living the way she wanted.’ 

Andrea explained: ‘Like so many people this has been a time to hugely reflect and think back. So many people have been talking about how they can’t wait for life to get back to normal. I, like many people, did that and thought, ‘Do I want my life to go back to the normal that it was before?’

She told viewers: ‘Last year I had a nervous breakdown and this year the world has had a breakdown. This year I’ve been really mentally strong to deal with everything the pandemic has thrown at us. 

‘You get one life, are you living it the way you want? Are you being brave? Are you doing the thing you want?’  

Becoming emotional, Andrea added: ‘I didn’t think I was going to cry. I’ve told you ladies just before we came on air. I’m going to be leaving Loose Women because I want to be brave…

‘All the incredible feedback that I had from my book and the support I was able to give them, I want to bring it to life. It was a really, really big decision to jump and see if I fall or if I fly. And I just thought, I will never know unless I try, so I am saying goodbye to Loose Women.’ 

Linda Robson said: ‘I am going to miss you so much, Andrea. Honestly you have been amazing and a real good friend to me. When I was going through my depression and everything, you were the one that was ringing all the time to see that I was okay.’

‘ITV have been amazing,’ Andrea said. ‘I have been anchoring Loose Women for 13 years now and I have been part of ITV daytime for 23 and actually the team have been so wonderful [saying]… 

‘Can we help, can we give you less days so you can focus on your business?’ I am not saying goodbye to telly either… You just never know unless you try, I just want to put myself out there…

‘See what the universe has in store, help as many women as I possibly can in whatever that means but for now it means with my website and all the love and effort that I am putting into that, that will be my focus.’  

Saira added:’ We are going to give you a massive send off so don’t you worry.’

Andrea said: ‘This is not goodbye, it’s au revoir. I’ll still be here till Christmas.’

Andrea said her decision was influenced by the ‘incredible feedback’ she received after releasing her book, This Girl Is on Fire, in September this year, which details her journey from trauma, toxic relationships and divorce towards empowerment, happiness and healing.

The mother-of-two revealed that she wanted to help more women and will be taking a risk with a new career path upon leaving her position on the show. 

The This Girl Is On Fire website Andrea has created provides a membership service to support women’s mental health and confidence levels. 

Andrea and her husband Nick Feeney launched the website in 2018, following the success of her best-selling book, Confessions of a Menopausal Woman.

The couple celebrated the one year anniversary of their website in June 2019 with a party attended by website contributors and special guests Jo Malone and Brenda Edwards. 

The Scottish native first began hosting Loose Women in 2007 but has been a part of the ITV Daytime team for the past 23 years. 

Andrea co-anchored the show two to three days a week, while Ruth Langsford and Kaye Adams steer the ship in her absence. 

Following her announcement, positive comments from viewers flooded in on Twitter as they wished Andrea well for the future.

Fellow ITV personality Lizzie Cundy, wrote: ‘So brave @andra_mclean on today’s @loosewomen. I had tears watching! Sending you love.’

Another social media user, wrote: ‘Good luck in your new ventures @andrea_mclean she who dares wins! #LooseWomen.’

A third wrote: ‘Sad that Andrea is leaving #LooseWomen – she’s great on it. Hopefully she’ll be back at some point.’

A different person wrote: ‘Andrea a job after 20 odd years is not easy even it was your decision. I couldn’t say anything at my leaving do, planned to say all sorts but emotion just took a hold. Good luck @andrea_mclean. #LooseWomen.’

Another said: ‘@andrea_mclean Good luck in the future Andrea. The show will be weird without you. I hope you get all you wish for.’

Another person joked: ‘Not me crying in bits with Andrea McLean announcing she’s leaving #LooseWomen oh my god. She’s my favourite anchor and I’m going to miss her so much. However, I am so so happy for her.’

One person said: ‘So sad to see that you will be leaving #LooseWomen I adore it when you’re anchoring. But I’m also excited for your future. You are right, you only have one life so you must do what makes you happy.’

A different Twitter user said: ‘Nahhh sat sobbing at @loosewoemn @andreamclean I’m so proud of you, sending you so so much love xxx.’

With similar sentiment, another person said: ‘I’m so so sad that @andreamclean is leaving #LooseWomen wishing her all the very best of luck.’

Andrea surprised Loose Women viewers in May earlier this year by admitting she had secretly suffered a breakdown last year.

The presenter bravely discussed her mental health battle alongside Nadia Sawalha, Brenda and Coleen Nolan.

The star confessed she had been a ‘really dark place’, but had been seeking professional help and support to help work through it. 

Since undergoing therapy, Andrea has decided she wants to help other women who may be going through similar struggles and want to stand up for themselves.

She has set up her female-empowerment website and aims to motivate 100 million women around the world.

Andrea attended counselling with her husband Nick Feeney.

While people assumed they were having marital issues, Nick attended Andrea’s sessions in solidarity and she claimed her other half has been ‘brilliant’