Jewish entertainment executives who wrote to ITV in protest over rumours that Nadia Sawalha may return to chat show Loose Women have told the JC their campaign is about "accountability, not cancellation”.
Nearly 20 producers and actors wrote to the broadcaster after it was suggested that Sawalha, who has platformed antizionist conspiracy theories, could return to the panel of the Bafta-nominated daytime show.
Sawalha carried out an incendiary interview last November, shared with her 555,000 Instagram followers, in which a pro-Palestine activist spoke about the media’s “Zionist” agenda and claims that terrorists are “freedom fighters”.
The activist also suggested that Benjamin Netanyahu timed military action in Gaza to coincide with Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership.
Sawalha appeared to agree with the comments during the interview.
Speaking to the JC, one of the signatories of the letter to ITV, television and content producer Nicholas Lazarus, said: “This isn’t about cancelling anyone’s voice – it's about basic editorial responsibility.
“ITV cannot present someone as a wholesome, everyday presenter while serious concerns remain unaddressed. That sends the wrong message about what is acceptable by anyone on their output.’
Voice artist Shelley Blond, who also signed the letter, said: “This isn’t about cancellation but accountability. ITV’s duty is not just to entertain but to uphold standards. A platform is a privilege, not an entitlement.”
Actress Alison Arellano said: “At a time of rising anti-Jewish hatred, broadcasters have a duty to uphold standards that protect, rather than alienate minority communities.”
Neil Ferris, the former managing director of EMI records said: “The rise in antisemitism hate in this country is getting worse by the day and as such I believe a national broadcaster likes ITV has an absolute duty to never provide a platform for people [such as this].”
Other signatories to the letter include Claudia Rosencrantz, a former ITV entertainment director, former BBC boss Danny Cohen and television producer Leo Pearlman.
The letter was addressed to ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall, its director of television Kevin Lygo and its chairperson Andrew Cosslett.
Citing ITV’s code of conduct, the letter said: “Are we to trust that ITV has followed its own stated commitments in relation to Ms Sawalha? Can ITV testify that it has undertaken this zero tolerance approach with respect to Ms Sawalha? And does the broadcaster truly believe that it is appropriate for her to return to the show?”
The letter included a 13-page dossier featuring further claims about incendiary statements and posts by Sawalha.
“Considering the evidence provided, and the many more examples readily available on Ms Sawalha’s social media, we invite ITV to respond in full to this letter (including the dossier attached) and defend its position. Given the indisputable fact that Britain’s Jews are now the target of more hate crimes per capita than any other minority group, we expect ITV will welcome the opportunity to assuage our concerns.”
Sawalha, who has been a regular on the show for 13 years, has not been on air since the end of April. It is believed she was dropped following the local elections in which her husband Mark Adderley – with whom she hosts a YouTube show – stood as a Green candidate. After he was suspended following a series of controversial remarks comparing Israel to Nazi Germany and blaming Mossad for perpetrating “false flag” terror attacks against Jews, Sawalha blamed “dark forces” for the investigation.
Reacting to his suspension from the party, Adderley said he was “truly, deeply, viscerally disgusted” by the decision, and that it was an attempt “to recreate the Corbyn antisemitism psychodrama of some years ago”.
He said that he “genuinely thought the Green Party was supposed to be different”, and that “we must be unafraid to say what establishment politics has disallowed: that Zionism is racism, that opposing a fascistic, apartheid state is not racism, it is not antisemitic, it is not conflating all Jewish People with the Netanyahu Regime - and that standing with the oppressed should NEVER be something to suspend someone for.”
The letter was prompted by rumours that Nadia had been once again added to the ‘grid’ of presenters for the show in June. It is believed that she has been since taken off the grid amid an internal row.
Fellow presenters are also said to be cautious about working with the controversial former actress who has not apologised for any of her comments.
ITV has refused to comment on whether Sawalha will be back at work this month.
Sawalha was contacted for comment.
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