Nadia Sawalha sues ITV after being axed from Loose Women over pro-Palestine views

Nadia Sawalha says she is taking ITV to court after being axed from Loose Women over her support of Palestine.

Describing the dispute as a 'mountain of tension', the presenter, 61, claims the television network treated her unlawfully over her 'protected beliefs'.

At Thursday night's Ethnicity Awards in London, which celebrates individuals and organisations that support ethnic minority communities, she told guests:

'I'm officially not on Loose Women any more, as of four weeks ago. I'm taking ITV to court. It's a mountain of tension.'

A source told The Mail on Sunday: 'Nadia was not trying to keep it quiet. She was speaking loudly just outside the Press room about taking ITV to court and there was no mistaking what she said.

'She then went on stage and made her feelings about Palestine clear in front of the entire room.'

Ms Sawalha, who is British-Jordanian, referred to her support for Palestine while presenting one of the prizes, telling the audience: 'How many dry awards ceremonies have we been to?

'The food was spicy, the jokes were spicy, I needed this tonight. I needed to be with people with like-minded hearts and souls and with many who would also like to free Palestine, I imagine.'

Ms Sawalha was nominated for the publicly voted Broadcaster, Journalist or Host award alongside her former Loose Women colleague Charlene White, with the seating plan placing the pair next to one another.

Ms White, 46, did not attend the ceremony but nevertheless beat Ms Sawalha to the prize.

Despite Ms Sawalha's statement, an ITV source told The Mail on Sunday the broadcaster was 'not aware' of any court action, although it confirmed that it had received a legal letter. The source said: 'She sent a legal letter to us and we have responded.'

When this newspaper contacted Ms Sawalha's representatives, it was directed to an interview with online news outlet Zeteo from last month. In it she said she believed taking ITV to court would end her television career.

She added: 'I know that taking ITV to court means I will never work on television again. And I accepted that is what I had to do.'

Ms Sawalha also compared her dealings with ITV to being in a relationship with a 'coercively controlling boyfriend'.

In an Instagram video in August, she said: 'My legal team at [the European Legal Support Centre] have today written to ITV alleging that I have been treated unlawfully due to my protected beliefs.'

Her lawyers said: 'In our pre-action letter, we allege that ITV subjected Nadia to direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and harassment because of her protected philosophical beliefs, namely her anti-Zionist beliefs, which are protected under the Equality Act 2010.'

'We argue that Nadia was treated less favourably than other ITV presenters who faced significant public complaints, raising serious concerns about equality in the workplace, and the treatment of those who speak out for Palestinian rights.'

They added: 'Nadia is calling on ITV to apologise and provide assurances that she will not be removed from future programmes because of her lawful speech on Palestine.'

After rising to fame on EastEnders in 1997, Ms Sawalha first appeared on Loose Women when it launched in 1999 and remained on the panel until 2002, before returning in 2013.