Loose Women star Saira Khan has spoken out about receiving a death threat – saying she feels “strong” and “had to speak out”.

The presenter, 47, said she received the threat online after posting a snap of herself sunbathing on holiday in a bikini, in defiance of a preacher who was reported as saying that Muslim women should not pluck their eyebrows.

“Woke up to news that a Muslim preacher is saying that ‘plucking eyebrows’ for Muslim women is a sin – here’s my response – kiss my (peach emoji) you backward prehistoric dinosaur,” she wrote on Instagram.

She later posted: “Just received a death threat on Instagram – check it out Met Police.”

On Wednesday Loose Women co-host Nadia Sawalha told the ITV audience: “We sent her a text this morning, saying we were worried about her and was she OK.

“She texted back and said, ‘I just had to speak out for us women. These idiots make women feel so shameful and guilty about our bodies and our desires and dreams’.

“I have to speak out for our daughters, for women just too scared to live as they want to. I am strong because I have friends like you,” Khan said.

Sawalha told viewers: “Saira is very, very brave. She is really brave. We have to admire that.

“It seems that no matter how many threats she gets she is going to keep on saying what she wants to say.

“She doesn’t want her daughter growing up, hiding themselves and feeling ashamed. She’s doing that for everybody.”