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Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha champions living next-door to her elderly parents
Jun 28, 2025
#AD After leaving school at 15, Nadia Sawalha admits she never knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. Now famous for her stint on Loose Women, Nadia tells us about about her roots growing up and why family is so special.
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0:00
So who have you got on today
0:02
I've got Nadia Swala. She is such a pocket rocket. Loose women
0:07
I mean, she has got something to say on pretty much everything. So I can't wait to find out who is there when she gets back home
0:22
Nadia, the friend I've never met. I feel like I know you
0:26
We do feel like that, don't we? because I've admired you from afar
0:30
So I feel like I know you. So it's really nice to be here with you. Ditto, it's our coffee catch-up
0:34
So when I say the word sort of support network, who is that one person who has really backed you
0:41
and had your back to the end? My dad is the most magical, mystical, fascinating person
0:48
the most incredible storyteller, never raised his voice at us, was always so kind and supportive and funny
0:57
So he gave me very advice. He always gave me huge respect. How did that respect look
1:03
Well, just whatever nonsense I was talking. Because recently he said to me, you know, until you're about 35, your brain was my blancmange
1:11
But I never knew that. He never let me know that. He would just let me
1:15
We would talk for hours and hours and hours. And he would always be my champion
1:21
And my mum. My mum, very different. She was brought up in Epsom
1:26
Epsom my dad's Jordanian and they were just an amazing couple for that because my mother's very
1:31
sort of what don't be silly you know a compliment from my mother is I might say oh um mom you know
1:37
do I do I look all right for where we're going you know something like that and she'll say
1:41
oh absolutely there'd be far worse sights than you there and that was a compliment from my mom
1:47
my dad would go of course you know the stars and the moons you know you're beautiful so it was a
1:52
really good balance my mum was very practical and very grounded and my dad was airy fairy if you
1:58
like so they were always my support network and I would say to anyone who's a parent now
2:04
be patient because some of the advice my father gave me now falls into place even that at 60
2:13
I'll think of things that he said I go god I know what you meant what sort of stuff he always used
2:18
to talk about the layers you know because everybody's in a rush aren't we we all want to
2:22
just achieve things in a certain way and we want to follow one road and one line and he would always
2:28
talk about the layers you know like a mille feuille which is my favorite pastry if anyone ever wants
2:33
to get me a pastry um you know that has layers and layers of pastry and he would talk about the layers and layers and it takes a very long time I suppose that growing up in the part of the world that he did And I was dissatisfied with something I was thinking about recently
2:47
and it just came back to me, those words, the layers. And it has, life has turned out for me through many, many layers
2:55
And I think there is a point where, my dad's 92 now, they live next door to me, my parents
2:59
Do they? Yeah. What a gift. It is such a gift. And my husband, the more we're together, we've been over now over 20 years, I see so many similarities
3:10
They're so different that I was able to find. Well, it's like your dad's the foundation of the Milfoy, if we're going to say
3:16
Is it Milfoy? Milfoy. Milfay. Milfay. And then your husband's one of the layers
3:21
Maybe he's the custard cream in the middle. We're still layering. So, yeah
3:27
So the men in your life, and obviously your mother as well, feel like the foundations of who you've become
3:33
and how you've got to where you've got to. I can't believe you've just said that. I'm really, really shocked because I've not thought of it like that
3:39
I think as you get older with those ladies, I've certainly found this. I found myself, I was a horrendous teenager
3:44
and now I'm a really loving daughter who's hurtling back to my mum and dad
3:48
to say thank you for everything you did. How do you hold those that have held you
3:54
As I say, my parents live next door, 93 this year and 87, my mum
4:00
And they still totally look after themselves. I was having a go at my mum because she'd got the bus up to the doctor
4:06
She said, what are you doing getting the bus? Why didn't you call us? And she was like, well, you're busy
4:12
And I went, mum, you looked after us all our life. Like, first, we were put first
4:17
We want to do that for you. Let us do that for you. My elder sister and I, we cook meals almost daily for them
4:25
But also to give them a break, to come to the house. My daughter sings, we sing
4:31
It's always around food. That's my love language, if you like. I love them through food and through time, giving people time, I think
4:40
I know it doesn't sound very good, but actually it's the best gift
4:44
You just sit with someone. That's it. You can have all the wealth, all the money, all the things, all the stuff
4:50
in all the world and yet you can have nothing if you don't have time with those you love
4:54
I mean, you have five children, you know what it means. They will always prefer you to play with them than anything you can buy them
5:01
And the day we die, all that matters is who we've loved and how we've been loved back
5:07
How have those foundations that your parents sort of built for your Milfoy
5:11
how have they kind of shaped your career and everything that you've done
5:16
How has it made you go about the world? I a very odd one because I never had a plan for anything You do not strike me as someone who doesn have a plan Oh no I never I am shocked Oh my God are you going to say I look like I got a plan
5:29
No, I feel like there is a plan. Oh, no, there's no plan
5:33
You're a very human plan, but there's a plan. No. No plan for career or life. Everything I've fallen in
5:38
How do you have this success without a plan? I don't know. I think maybe I'm just... I just fall in and out of things
5:44
I think I really love people. Yeah. So, you know, I left school at 15 and I just I just headed off on my own
5:54
And that's a big thing. So like what was a big thing? My parents looked at me and said she could go off the rails
6:01
Were you even on the rails to start with? Not really. They said what you need is to just fly
6:07
You need to be free because if you're really contained, you're going to go nuts
6:11
So I just fell around doing things. I was just like, you know, I wanted to be a nurse
6:17
Then I wanted to be, I've never really known what I've wanted to do. You know, I kind of fell into acting
6:23
And then I fell out of acting into presenting. And now, you know, I wanted to be a social media sensation in my 50s and 60s
6:33
And just as a bit of a laugh, I said that. And now I'm like, I do so much social media
6:37
So there's never been a plan. It's a big question that a lot of people always ask
6:41
What sort of advice has really stuck with you? since maybe that moment you left school at 15 and charted this path
6:48
One of the things that my father said, the Swalha mind is like the butterfly flitting from flower to flower
6:58
feeding on the nectar. But sometimes it would be good if we were more of a bee
7:07
So how's that butterfly bee ogy, How has that been woven into kind of your career and where you are now, would you say
7:14
Well, I think for a lot of the time when I was butterflying, I didn't see that as a problem
7:21
I didn't want to be a bee. I don't like being told I'm just one thing. Do you know what I mean
7:26
I always say this to my daughters. I say, life does not go in one straight path
7:31
You will be so astonished the things that will come to you and the things that you will end up loving and wanting to do more
7:37
And I think that it was good. I don't look back and say I wish I hadn't been that person but now I'm being at the point that
7:47
I want to be a bee you know and I look forward to the rest of my life enormously so I think these
7:53
are those are the layers now coming in now that my dad was had force foreseen the bee yeah where I am settled in what I doing if somebody said to me what else do you want I wouldn have anything to say other than right here right now is just fantastic One thing that
8:09
I have really learned through life is, and this is what I say to my daughters all the time, happiness is just moments. Don't go for, don't think, oh, am I happy all the time? Nobody is
8:19
We're looking for moments of happiness. I love that. What would you say is the most
8:24
important thing to you in this moment right now uh that you would ensure that was worthy enough
8:32
and uh important enough to you to ensure against anything that could happen well i mean that i'm
8:40
not even sure if i should reveal this i am going to tell you something fairly deep and fairly dark
8:46
about myself and maybe even shameful i've hidden it for many many years i would have to ensure
8:52
For my reality TV app on my phone. Really? Because it's very precious to me
9:01
Reality TV. I was literally like, where are we going with this
9:07
Because the world is crazy, right? What I need to do is empty out my brain and just go
9:13
because I'm very full on from the minute I wake up. And I'm, you know, like there's a lot going on
9:18
And so reality TV, it's my guilty, filthy secret. Do you know what
9:24
How wealthy are you in the sense of like yourself to know what you need
9:31
That's what I need. Obviously, if I'm in the mood, I will do some yoga instead or meditate
9:37
But mostly I'm knackered. Absolutely lying. Yeah. I just chucked it in
9:42
Nobody believed it. I love, can we just have a moment of all the things you could ensure? right so I'm just give some context you've got your house you know you know we can even go family
9:51
here Nadia if we wanted to I love how reality tv app is above house above family above money
9:57
because it keeps me sane yes which then keeps my family happy keeps my house standing up I need to
10:05
decompress from my own brain so I tap into somebody else's I'm also you know a huge fan of theater and
10:11
all of that you know and I love my documentaries but it's it's it's a tool for me to just just
10:19
empty out my brain and what gift is that to know what you need Nadia I love you thank you so much
10:26
your face was a picture you were preparing you were stealing yourself weren't you who knew that
10:33
heart and of Eva would be able to get the deepest darkest secret out of Nadia Swala there you go
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