Outrage over controversial TV presenter Reham Saeed’s comeback

The controversial TV show Sabaya al-Kheir (Charity Girls) will return to the airwaves with its former host Reham Saeed, the satellite channel Al-Nahar announced on Monday.

The show was suspended last month after Saeed enraged viewers by airing personal photos of a guest invited to the show to discuss her experience of being sexually harassed and physically assaulted in a Cairo mall.

The network said the show would return with a new focus on charity cases, and would not be sponsored. Following the decision, a campaign calling for the whole channel to be pulled off air trended on Egyptian social media.

Declaring that the woman's account of her assault was not plausible — though it was caught on camera — Saeed showed personal pictures of the victim, which she allegedly stole from the guest's phone. Saeed used the photos to insinuate that the woman was at fault, arguing she shouldn’t have been surprised at the assault given her “lifestyle.”

In response to a fierce social media campaign slamming Saeed for the breach of privacy, 15 companies withdrew advertising from Sabaya al-Kheir. Al-Nahar immediately suspended the show, apologizing for the contentious episode and asserting that an investigation would be carried out.

Saeed then resigned from the network.

In its Monday statement, the network announced it would reinstate the show to continue to support charity organizations that reportedly suffered during its suspension. It explained that the series would run without commercials for an indefinite period.

Investigations into the controversial episode would continue, but findings would not be revealed out of "respect for the ongoing judicial process," Al-Nahar added.

Sabaya al-Kheir's original mission was to help people in need and shed light on crime and social issues. However, Saeed soon moved on to general commentary on a wide array of topics.

Saeed has incited controversy before, most recently after disrespecting Syrian refugees while handing out food and clothes in a Lebanese refugee camp for another episode of the program.