Nadia Sawalha’s best Loose Women moments - from bikini videos to broke admission
Nadia Sawalha is one of the original Loose Women and she's never been known to hold back when airing her opinions on the ITV show.
Loose Women's Nadia on stripping off to change thinking
Loose Women's Nadia Sawalha celebrates her birthday today (January 18). The former EastEnders star turns 59. Although she started out as an actor, in recent years she has become better known for her uplifting and hilarious body positivity videos and also her outspoken views on the daytime show.
She was one of the original panellists at the beginning of the show in 1999 and stayed until 2002. She then returned to the show in 2013 after a panellist revamp.
From admitting she was broke to her mission to normalise regular bodies, Nadia never holds back. Express.co.uk has been reflecting on some of her best bits.
1. Discussing why she had posted bikini videos on Instagram
Nadia's bikini posts are now legendary and she never shies away from letting it all hang out. But three years ago when she first posted a hugely confident video wearing a mismatched bikini to Instagram she had to explain her reasoning.
After the clip garnered over 2,000 comments - and she admitted she read every one - she took to show to give the backstory. She explained it was a really hot day and that she knew women would be worrying about not being able to wear certain things and she wanted to change their thinking. Three years on and she is still on her body positivity mission.
2. Admitting she was 'so broke' she walked the streets to find 50p for food
Money is one of those subjects that remains incredibly taboo despite the current cost of living crisis. So in July last year, it was incredibly brave of Nadia to publicly admit that she had been stony broke before she landed her iconic role in EastEnders.
"I was so broke when I got EastEnders, I would walk along the streets, kicking around the streets to get 50p for a potato - for a jacket potato to put in the oven," she told her co-stars.
3. Standing up for breastfeeding mothers
In August last year, Nadia made her feelings clear about those who complain about breastfeeding mothers during a discussion on the show. "Can I just say... to anyone that finds a woman who is feeding and hydrating a five-week-old human 'uncomfortable', take yourself over to a mirror, look in the mirror and have a word with yourself!" she fumed.
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4. Leaving Carol McGiffin speechless after swearing on air
When Catherine Tate appeared on the show in character as her foul-mouthed Nan creation, no one thought it would be Nadia leaving the other panellists speechless. However, that is hilariously what happened after she let slip the word b***** leaving the usually very talkative Carol McGiffin speechless and aghast.
5. Getting her face shaved live on air
Always game Nadia probably regretted her decision to try a new beauty trend when she was cut by a razor during a segment where she had her face shaved in 2016. It is claimed to help exfoliate the skin, while also removing fine hairs to make for easier make-up application. Nadia remained unconvinced and even branded model Rachel Hunter - who was an advocate of the craze - a "nutter".
"I think she's a nutter," she said. "I've got a lot of women in my family with beards because they've done that!" Nadia ranted, before adding: "I have an unnaturally hairy family!"
Loose Women airs on weekdays from 12.30pm on ITV and ITVX.