Saira Khan received death threats for wearing a bikini.
Saira Khan received death threats for wearing a bikini
The 53-year-old presenter was born into a Muslim family and admitted that she has experienced a wealth of online trolling over her lack of clothing but remains "proud" that she can strip off and feel empowered.
She told Closer: "I'm so proud to be in a bikini, yet in my culture I've experienced death threats for showing myself. I can't tell you how much trolling I've had. I say, 'Bring it on' - because I'm not going to stop. People are scared of powerful women, because when we own who we are, we change the world!"
Meanwhile, the TV star - who found fame when she competed on 'The Apprentice' but is best known for previously being a regular panellist on 'Loose Women from 2015 until 2020 - reminded women of her community of the importance of seeing a "fit, healthy body" even though they are covered up a lot of the time,
She said: "For women in my community and my culture, it's so important to see what a fit, healthy body looks like and how it ages, because we don't see it, as a lot of it is covered all the time. I fully believe that if you can't see it, you can't be it. We need to show off our bodies in order to get vitamin D - otherwise it really won't serve you well later in life!"
Saira has also recently cut sugar out of her diet and noted that although she likes sweet treats, the change has been beneficial for her health, especially in terms of the menopause.
She added: "As you hit the menopause there are lots of things you have to watch, like the thickening of the waist, weak bones, hormonal changes, depression, and anxiety. A lot of it is to do with your diet and physical activity. I love sugar and I wish I could have it all the time, but I can't, because I want to feel good about myself and I don't want that hormonal roller coaster.
"I can't afford to be like that every day because it gets me down. I've cut it out as much as I can and, actually, I feel better for it. I've noticed big changes like weight loss, hormonal balances, more energy and less anxiety!"