Saira Khan breaks down and walks off-set of Loose Women after brave abuse confession
LOOSE WOMEN star Saira Khan has been called "an inspiration" after making a heartbreaking revelation about her past live on the show.
Saira Khan admits she was molested as a child
The panelist, 46, was discussing Mukhtar Mai, the gang rape survivor from Pakistan who walked a fashion runway earlier this week.
In an unplanned confession, she tearfully said: "This woman inspired me. I want any woman out there who's going through what I went through at 13, a male member of my family… He's died now, he came in and did things.
"[Mai] inspired me to talk about something that is wrong. If any young woman or child is going through something that someone is touching them without permission, it is wrong. Get help.
"It is not culturally or religiously acceptable. It is wrong. This woman is a voice. It happens every day."
Loose Women: Saira Khan had a breakdown over a brave admission
Saira Khan was widely praised on Twitter
Culturally I couldn't speak about it
As Nadia Sawalha, Linda Robson and Anne Diamond rallied round her, she added: "I wasn't expecting to say that."
Host Nadia admitted: "I am speechless."
"Culturally I couldn't speak about it," Saira added. "We're seen as the ones who inspired it in the first place.
"My mum was amazing years later. I talk about it now because this man is dead and I feel like I've got one over on him but this woman's story today inspired me not to make it a private thing."
Linda told her: "You've given other women the strength."
She said she "wasn't expecting" to say what she did
As Nadia moved the discussion along to a different topic, Saira walked off-set, and later returned after a commercial break.
One person tweeted: "The utter level of respect for this women on @loosewomen today is beyond me! Saira you are an inspiration!"
"Big hugs to Saira. Such a brave lady. Had me in tears hearing her story," someone else said.
Loose Women airs weekdays at 12:30pm on ITV.