Inside Loose Women's 'feuds' - from bullying accusations to wedding snubs

29 September 2023 , 08:30

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Loose Women is no stranger to an on-air bust up (Image: ITV)

Loose Women is a hot bed of different opinions and characters, and this very formula is why it has been been so successful and has stayed on our screens for so long.

The daytime show has been entertaining viewers since 1999, and in that time there have been a fair few arguments on the panel. There are rumours some of these disagreements have spilled out into real lives. From lively debates to bullying complaints and from messy resignations to wedding invite snubs, let's take a look at some of the biggest feuds to come out of the ITV show.

Andrea McLean and Carol McGiffin

Back in 2017 Loose Women panellist Andrea McLean got married to her partner, life coach Nick Feeney. Although many of the panel were invited to celebrate her wedding with her, Carol McGiffin was noticeably absent from the proceedings. Carol took to her Best Magazine column to highlight this, writing, "I'm ecstatic for them both, even though I wasn't invited to the wedding. Andrea's managed to squeeze in two weddings in less time than I've been engaged to Mark, which is a bit embarrassing, to say the least."
Despite this, the pair showed there was no animosity between them when they discussed the situation before Andrea left the show in 2020.

Many of the Loose Women cast at Andrea's wedding without Carol (Instagram/iamsairakhan)

Saira Khan and production

Saira Khan was a regular on the hit show from 2015 until her exit in 2021, when she didn’t hold back. The star claimed that the show was toxic, and explained to The Mirror that the last straw was when she was asked to join adult site Only Fans. She said: "The straw that broke the camel’s back was when one of the young producers was sent running after me to ask whether I would be prepared to open an OnlyFans account.”

Saira also claimed she was asked to have a mould made of her vagina for a segment. The 53-year-old said, “The system is toxic. They do not have people who have the expertise to introduce wellbeing and mental health care. I love TV presenting, but I knew that for the sake of my mental health and my family, I just could not carry on in such toxic working conditions.”

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Saira Khan spectacularly quit the show in 2021

Myleene Klass, Denise Welch and Janet Street Porter

Former Hear'Say Myleene Klass appeared on the Loose Women panel in 2014 and during this time Janet Street Porter lost her temper with the star, saying,"I'm happiest when I'm not sat next to you Myleene!" Following this the singer took to social media to vent: "I love Loose Women. It's nice to be able to articulate and get things out there. But I feel it was getting a bit misogynistic, a bit post-menopausal or pre-menopausal and ranty. That's not how women should be represented so it's nice they've refreshed the panel and we can talk about politics, fashion designers and what else is going on in the week." Denise Welch then chimed in to defend her show with a soon-deleted tweet which read, "Sadly ratings suggest most viewers don’t agree with you."

Myleene Klass on Loose Women, the show she went on to criticise (Rex)

Carol McGiffin and production

Carol McGiffin was a regular on Loose Women, until she took a five-year break in 2013. However, the presenter then returned in 2018, before quitting earlier this year. Carol, 63, was known for her strong-minded and controversial views, which included accusing the World Health Organisation (WHO) of a "plot” during the coronavirus pandemic. Following her exit she told GB News presenter Dan Wootton that her opinions were the reason for her exit.

“I can say that over the last three years especially I've been...I wouldn't say censored, but I have been restricted in what I could say. You know what my views are on these controversial matters, so to speak because I've been talking to you about them for the last three years on another station, which I got kicked off of by the way for having those views,” she said. "So everybody knows what my views are, and I think there's absolutely no doubt there were people at ITV who didn't like me having those views."

Carol quit the show earlier this year due to her opinions not aligning with ITV's

Coleen Nolan and Kim Woodburn

Coleen Nolan was accused of bullying on the hit show and as a result Ofcom received 7,000 complaints. This was due to the fact she had appeared on the 19th series of Celebrity Big Brother with outspoken How Clean is Your House? star Kim Woodburn, and the pair had a huge row. Kim then appeared on Loose Women in 2018 with the aim of the duo ironing out their differences which caused another bust up, resulting in Kim storming off, saying: “I wouldn't want to sit and talk with lying trash. She's a horrible person. You are trash, you're a piece of filth!"

Kim Woodburn walked off Loose Women after being reunited with CBB housemate Coleen Nolan and having a huge row (TV Grab)

Media regulator Ofcom went on to dismiss the bullying claims and clear Loose Women of any breach, saying: “While there was some support for Ms Nolan, the majority of complainants said that the panel humiliated Ms Woodburn and caused her unnecessary distress.”
For Coleen the situation was also hard to manage, as she revealed on This Morning shortly after, “"It was genuinely shocking for all of us. None of us wanted that. I never want to see anyone in that much distress as she was in the end. It's been the worst week of my life actually."

Kaye Adams and Denise Welch

Kaye disagreed with Denise about covid restrictions (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

While the two chad differing opinions it wasn't personal (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Kaye Adams and Denise Welch had many arguments during the pandemic, with both taking different views on the imposed restrictions. One row that typified their clash of opinions happed in 2021 when Denise said, "I will no longer abide by rules that make absolutely no sense." When Kaye offered a riposte, Denise then claimed ""Maybe there has to be a bit of anarchy."
To this the Scottish presenter replied, "To be brutal, if I have got to listen to you or Professor Chris Whitty, I'm going to go with Professor Chris Whitty," Kaye then snapped back. "Go with Chris Whitty and be in lockdown forever - it's up to you!"

Lydia Veljanovski