Saira Khan’s kids were "distressed" by the argument between Gemma Collins and Jason Gardiner on ‘Dancing on Ice’ last night (20.01.19).
The 48-year-old TV presenter – who has children Amara, eight, and 11-year-old Zachariah, with husband Steve Hyde – says the youngsters were "upset" at witnessing a row between the two contestants while they were sitting in the audience.
Former ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ star Gemma was receiving feedback from the four judges – Ashley Banjo, Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean and Jason – when she went on a tirade at the choreographer, accusing him of "selling stories" after he criticised her control on the ice.
Speaking on ‘Loose Women’ via video link, Saira said: "I had my children there yesterday with lots of other children in the audience and then to have an outburst like that on live TV – I have to say my children were actually quite upset and a little bit distressed.
"This is a family show and so I just think if you’re gonna have beef with people take it off the screen we don’t need to show our youngsters that kind of thing."
Saira didn’t agree with some of the "harsh" comments made by Jason, and insisted that judges have to be "impartial".
She explained: "I don’t think it’s right for a judge on that show to be talking about a contestant in such harsh terms because they have got to be impartial.
"They give us the feedback on the telly we go away with it and we go away with it and we improve the next week it shouldn’t go over and beyond that."
During the argument, Jason said: "I know you were channelling Marilyn Monroe … There wasn’t any elegance like you were saying in the VT. She has to be elegant.
"She is a woman in control of her femininity. You were all over the place hun. And as Ashley said, there’s not enough skating. This is your second skate now. You need to up the ante. We’re not going to see big lifts from you. We’re not going to get any impressive moves."
Gemma fumed: "Can I just say one thing? Maybe if you didn’t sell stories on me, I wouldn’t have been so upset this week. So take that! Boring, boring! Don’t sell stories on me."
Saira Khan’s kids ‘distressed’ at Gemma Collins and Jason Gardiner row
