Nadia Sawalha, a well-known figure on the popular ITV show Loose Women, has been removed from the program following allegations that she disseminated ‘unhinged’ anti-Semitic conspiracy theories through social media.
The 61-year-old presenter has been noticeably absent from the panel this week and will continue her hiatus into next week. Sources indicate that although the show’s producers are fond of her, both sides have agreed to take some time apart before considering her return.
Nevertheless, Nadia has remained active online. She appeared live this morning on her ‘Coffee Moaning’ YouTube show alongside her husband, Mark Adderley. Notably, Adderley himself is embroiled in controversy, having been suspended from the Green Party due to alleged ‘anti-Semitic rants’.
In their latest episode, the couple discussed the recent local election results, with Nadia accusing certain factions, particularly within the Labour party, of maligning her husband with false accusations.
However, further concerns have been raised by insiders who claim that the YouTube channel shared by Nadia and her husband contains content that could be deemed ‘dangerous.’
One insider revealed, “There have been complaints from both on-screen and off-screen staff at ITV about the channel’s content. It has taken a turn towards conspiratorial themes and appears to mask anti-Semitic sentiments as anti-Israel rhetoric.”
‘A number of colleagues fear Nadia has brought this upon herself through her dangerous posting and there is growing concern for her mental health.’
Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha has been dropped over claims she shared ‘unhinged’ anti-Semitic conspiracy theories on social media
Ms Sawalha went live on YouTube to react to the local election results with her husband Mark Adderley, who was suspended from the Green Party over alleged ‘anti-Semitic rants’
Ms Sawalha was last on Loose Women at the end of April and usually appears on the woman-only panel at least once a week.
Chosen as one of the original lineup when the show launched in 1999, she has been a regular fixture ever since.
She blamed ‘dark forces’ when her husband was suspended by the Greens and prevented from standing as a candidate in Croydon over ‘rants’ including comparing Israel to Nazi Germany.
Adderley also shared videos celebrating the ‘courage’ of the Hamas October 7 atrocities in Israel, as well as vile conspiracy theories blaming Jews for the September 11 attacks and the Bondi Beach terror massacre in Australia.
ITV declined to comment on claims that Nadia has been dropped.
But the Daily Mail understands the broadcaster has taken a dim view of her controversial comments.
Another source described ITV and Ms Sawalha as both needing some ‘space’.
She is not due on air for at least another week and both parties would likely meet to review any potential return, according to the insider.
‘We love Nadia, she’s a great Loose Woman,’ the show source claimed. ‘There has been a lot going on so Loose Women is having some space from her for some calm.’
Her husband Mr Adderley, 55, regularly uploads the critical content to his YouTube channel, flanked by his wife.
Several of the couple’s videos refer to ‘Israeli false flag’ operations being behind the assassination of US political figure Charlie Kirk, a missile attack on a British base in Cyprus and the recent firebombing of Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green, north London.
Shortly after Mr Adderley’s suspension by the Greens, his wife posted a lengthy 21-minute social media rant in which she blamed ‘dark forces behind everything that you see’ and claimed her husband had been ‘slandered’ and unfairly punished.
She added: ‘He is the most decent kind, super smart man with the hugest of hearts.’
Despite her husband’s suspension, she vowed to keep supporting the Greens.
The TV panellist, a former EastEnders star, insisted accusations had been taken out of context and said the couple had ‘everything recorded’ to prove it.
Ms Sawalha also claimed her husband’s suspension followed an internal complaint and described the process as a ‘carve up’, arguing her husband’s activism had been ‘totally altruistic’.
Ms Sawalha regularly appears in videos uploaded by her husband, whose name still appeared as a Green candidate for Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood despite his suspension
She explained her husband is in the ‘punishment phase’ of ‘bravely [speaking] up for the Palestinians in a way very few people’ have ‘the courage’ to do.
His name still appeared on Thursday’s ballot papers as a Green candidate for Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood in the Croydon elections despite his suspension.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism previously called on ITV to investigate her.
A spokesman said: ‘What sort of “dark forces” is Nadia Sawalha referring to?
‘You expect spouses to be loyal, but appearing to double down on the sort of conspiratorial tropes that her husband has been promoting and that presumably prompted his suspension from the Green Party is not the way to go about it.
‘Ms Sawalha has now drawn scrutiny to herself and Loose Women need to investigate whether she is just a little too loose-tongued to stay in post.’
Alex Hearn from advocacy group Labour Against Antisemitism, who described Sawalha’s posts as ‘unhinged’, welcomed the development.
He said: ‘Nadia Sawalha has been posting vile, unhinged rants online for some time now. It is time ITV took action against her, before she does serious damage to the reputation of one of Britain’s oldest broadcasters.’
Ms Sawalha has been contacted for comment.
