Saira Khan says ‘very violent dad’ prepared her for SAS Who Dares Wins

LOOSE Women’s Saira Khan has opened up on how her tough childhood with her father prepared her for Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.

The former panelist of the ITV lunchtime show said it was her “very violent dad” that got her through SAS gruelling challenges.

Due to her childhood, she admitted she was the “strongest mentally” on the show.

Saira said: “I think I was probably one of the strongest mentally.

“I was going in there with a real-life experience.

“I have been through a lot of trauma growing up.”

Speaking to Chanel 4, she continued to describe her dad’s behaviour when she was a child as “violent”.

Saira recalled: “I had a very violent dad who I loved dearly, but he put us through physical trauma, mental trauma.

“I would say that I was one of the fittest mentally in there.

“I think I was asked the question, ‘What do you fear?’ And the thing is, I don’t fear anything.

“I am actually quite fearless, so that side of things didn’t really worry me too.

“Somebody shouting obscenities in my face 24 hours is not something I’m afraid of.”

Back in 2018, she spoke to The Mirror about her dad’s anger once again.

She said: “With the help of some recent therapy, I was able to revisit some of those traumatic times and recall how I felt as a nine-year-old.

“But it was painful and hard to go back to a time in your life where you felt helpless, frightened, confused, distraught and so angry at what was going on.

“And why the person I loved so much wanted to hurt my feelings.

“I feel ashamed writing about my dad’s anger, because I feel I am betraying him, letting him down.

“But part of my healing process has been to admit that while I loved my dad, what he did was wrong and there are no excuses for violence towards children, either physical or mental.”