Saira Khan has claimed she quit Loose Women after ITV bosses asked her to join OnlyFans.

The 52-year-old presenter was a regular panellist on the popular daytime show for five years before she departed the programme in January 2021.

She has now alleged that she left ‘quietly’ after being approached by bosses to join the content subscription service OnlyFans, a request she described as ‘offensive’ and ‘disgusting’.

Khan felt compelled to share her claims on Instagram to ‘make sure that other women who work either in this show or on others are treated and supported in a way that protects them’.

‘It’s been 2 years since I’ve left the show, and I feel I have a duty to speak out to ensure that other women are not put in the same negative situations I experienced,’ she penned.

‘Whenever you speak out against a huge corporation and expose some of their questionable working practises, they get their lawyers on the case to deliver blanket statements and get their talent to say, “Well I’m not sure what she’s talking about, because it’s not what I’ve experienced.”

‘I’m expecting this.’

Khan went on to claim: ‘I do want the editorial team and management team at ITV to know that their culture needs to change from the top down and that the ask for me to join OnlyFans was a disgusting and offensive request that insulted me to my core.

‘If it was a serious investigative piece, why was I not sat down in an office with the editor to discuss it?’

Sharing more details about ITV’s alleged approach, she explained: ‘They asked me to go undercover and open an OnlyFans account for an investigative story – I had no idea what that even meant – it was asked by a junior producer who was sent running after me just as I was leaving to go home.’

Khan stressed that she does not want Loose Women to be cancelled, nor does she wish any harm to her former co-stars.

A spokesperson for Loose Women told Metro.co.uk that they ‘strongly refute’ Khan’s claims.

‘Duty of care is of paramount importance for all of our panellists,’ they continued. ‘Saira left the Loose Women panel almost two years ago and we wish her well.’

Many praised Khan for speaking out, including former Apprentice winner Tim Campbell, who said: ‘We love and support you for always speaking up for what is right.’

Another wrote: ‘I’m so sorry this has happened to you, well done for standing up to them … when one door closes another one opens! I wish you all the very best for the future ❤️❤️❤️❤️.’

A source close to the ITV show told Metro.co.uk that OnlyFans and online safety could ‘always potentially be the subject of an investigation’.

‘Loose Women Investigates is a strand which has seen reports into a range of different topics of relevance to viewers including missing persons and online safety,’ they said.

‘Online sites such as Only Fans and their safety have been discussed on the show many times and could always potentially be the subject of an investigation.’

Another insider told us that on departing Loose Women they were told Khan was leaving to focus on her ‘businesses and online’ and that ‘she has nothing but good things to say about her five years on the show.’

‘We are therefore surprised to hear these claims close to two years later,’ they added.

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