Nadiya Hussain

Nadiya Jamir HussainMBE(néeBegum;born 25 December 1984) is a British television chef,authorand television personality.She rose to fame after winning thesixth seriesof BBC'sThe Great British Bake Offin 2015.Since winning, she has signed contracts with the BBC to host the documentaryThe Chronicles of Nadiyaand TV cookery seriesNadiya's British Food AdventureandNadiya's Family Favourites;co-presentedThe Big Family Cooking Showdown;and has become a regular contributor onThe One Show.
Hussain is a columnist forThe Times Magazineand has signed publishing deals with Penguin Random House,Hodder Children's Booksand Harlequin.She has appeared as a guest panellist onITV'sLoose Women.She was invited to bake a cake for the 90th birthday celebrations ofElizabeth II.
In 2017, Hussain was named byDebrett'sas one of the 500 most influential people in the UKand was onBBC News'100 Womenlist.She was also shortlisted for Children's Book of the Year prize at theBritish Book AwardsforBake Me A Storyand was nominated forBreakthrough Starat theRoyal Television Society AwardsforThe Chronicles of Nadiya.Ted Cantle, the author of a government report oncommunity cohesion, said Hussain had done "more for British-Muslim relations than 10 years of government policy".
Hussain is a second-generationBritish Bangladeshi, born and raised inLuton,Bedfordshire, where she attended Maidenhall Infant School,Challney High SchoolandLuton Sixth Form College. She has five siblings: three sisters and two brothers. Hussain's father, who originates fromBeanibazar,Sylhet District, was a chef and owned an Indian restaurant.Hussain started wearing ahijabat age 14 to cover up her "bad hair more than anything else" because her father "cut it really badly."As a teenager, she was diagnosed withpanic disorderand underwentcognitive behavioural therapy.She revealed her mental health difficulties in aSport Relieffilmand tackled childhood anxiety in her bookMy Monster and Me.
Hussain learned basic cooking skills at school.Her mother never baked and used the oven for storage. She taught herself the rest from recipe books and watching videos on YouTube. Her favourite book is a baking-themed book by Irish novelistMarian Keyes.
At the time ofThe Great British Bake Off, Hussain was "a full-time mum" living inLeedswith her husband, an IT specialist, and three children, while studying for anOpen Universitydegree in Childhood and Youth Studies.When she won the final they moved toMilton Keynesnearer to London so that she could pursue a culinary career.
Hussain appeared in and won thesixth series(Season 3 on PBS, or Collection 3 on Netflix in the US) ofThe Great British Bake Offwhich aired from 5 August to 7 October 2015. During the final she baked 16iced bunsin three hours, as well as raspberry-flavouredmille-feuille, to one ofPaul Hollywood's recipes, in two hours, and a multi-layered presentation cake which took the form of "My Big Fat British Wedding Cake", in a time of four hours. During her acceptance speech, she said:
With more than 15 million viewers, the final was the most-watched show of 2015.Her appearance on the show and ensuing popularity with audiences were deemed important steps toward shifting stereotypes about the Muslim community and acceptance about cultural diversity.Hussain established a large following on social media. Her online followers describe themselves as "Nadiyators" and she also won the backing of then Prime MinisterDavid Cameron.
On 25 December, Hussain made a cameo appearance in theBBC OneshowMichael McIntyre's Big Christmas Showrecorded at theTheatre Royal, Drury Lane.
In August 2016, Hussain was presenter of a two-part food travelogue,The Chronicles of Nadiya, onBBC One, in which she travelled toBangladeshto trace her culinary roots.She visited her paternal grandfather's village inSylhetin the northeast of Bangladesh. She cooked for the crew of one of the country's famouspaddle steamers, and visited a riverside village where they still practise the ancient art ofotter fishing. In the capitalDhaka, she helped 'Thrive', a charity delivering meals to deprived schoolchildren.The first episode debuted immediately afterThe Great British Bake Offon 24 August, and was watched by4.5 millionviewers, a 20.5% share of all television viewers during the broadcast slot.The series was nominated at the2017 National Television Awardsunder 'Factual Entertainment'.Hussain was nominated for Breakthrough star at the 2017Royal Television Society Awards.
In November 2016, Hussain was a judge on thefourth seriesofJunior Bake OffonCBBC.Hussain replacedMary Berryon the competition show in which 40 children aged between nine and twelve compete to create the best cakes and treats.
On 21 December 2016, Hussain presented a two-hour cookery show at her home onBBC Radio 2alongsideOlly Smithas part of BBC's Christmas radio line-up. The show was her first new programme after signing a deal to make the BBC her 'home', rebuffing speculation she would join Channel 4's version of Bake Off.
From July to September 2017, Hussain presentedNadiya's British Food Adventure, an eight-part series onBBC Two.Hussain travelled across the country, visiting food producers, and then returned to her kitchen to cook using ingredients found on her journeys.A tie-in cookery book, published byMichael Joseph, features new recipes that use British ingredients cooked in a Bangladeshi style, such asMasalaeggy bread, Yorkshire pudding withchia seedsand auberginepakoraswith ketchup.
From August to November 2017, Hussain co-presentedThe Big Family Cooking ShowdownalongsideZoë Ball.Hussain left the show after the end of series one to focus on her own show,Nadiya's Family Favourites, and mentioned the decision was born of her desire to get back to cooking.
In July 2018, Hussain's second TV cookery seriesNadiya's Family Favouritesaired onBBC Two.The six part seriesTime To Eat, first shown onBBC Twoin July and August 2019,included various 'time-saving kitchen hacks' and recipes designed to save time and allow families to stay within budget.The show entered theNetflixcatalog in April 2020.
Hussain also starred in an eight part series,Nadiya Bakes, first shown onBBC Twoin September and October 2020.
Hussain has appeared as a reporter forThe One Showon BBC One.
Hussain is a guest presenter onLoose Women.She announced on the programme that she had been given the honour of bakingthe Queen's 90th birthday cake,an orange drizzle cake with orange curd and orange butter cream. Hussain said: "When I told the kids (I was making a cake for the Queen), the boys were great at keeping it a secret. I told my daughter and she said, 'Oh Mary Berry? You've made lots of cakes for Mary Berry'."
On 13 August 2016, Hussain appeared as guest on BBC Radio 4'sDesert Island Discs,and was interviewed byKirsty Young. She opened up about her struggles as a young mother, the social isolation suffered by some Muslim women and how her confidence grew duringBake-Off. She described the racial abuse she still receives on the street and, determined to be a good role model to her children, how she responds with the "dignity of silence".
Hussain was a guest on BBC One'sThe Graham Norton Showon 9 December 2016 and 12 November 2021.She also appeared onWould I Lie to Youas a guest in Season 10.
Hussain is a Contributing Editor to UK's biggest food media brand, BBC'sGood Food.Hussain also writes a monthly column forThe Times Magazine, a part of the Saturday supplement ofThe Times,and was previously columnist forEssentialsmagazine.
Her recipes have also appeared in BBC'sGood Foodmagazine,The GuardianandThe Telegraph.
Hussain was signed by UK publisherMichael Joseph, part of Penguin Random House,for her debut bookNadiya's Kitchen, which is a collection of the recipes which she cooks for friends and family.In 2017,Michael Josephpublished a tie-in cookery book for Hussain's primetime eight-part BBC2cookery seriesof the same name,Nadiya's British Food Adventure.
Hussain has written a children's book of stories and recipes,Bake Me A Story, published byHodder Children's Books,which blends updated versions of fairytales (poor "Sleepless Beauty" just needs a nice cup of cardamom-infused hot chocolate to break her curse; resourceful Jack wins the giant over with yummy bean patties) with colourful illustrations and child-friendly recipes.In 2017,Bake Me A Storywas shortlisted forChildren's Book of the Yearprize at theBritish Book Awards.Following the success, a second cookbook and storybook compilation,Nadiya's Bake Me a Festive Storywas published in October 2017.
The 2016 chart of theTop 100 Food & Drink booksby book sales, compiled by industry analystsNielsen, placed Hussain's booksNadiya's KitchenandBake Me A Storyin third and fourth place, respectively.
Hussain released her first novel,The Secret Lives of the Amir Sisters, in January 2017 with help from authorAyisha Malikand was billed as a British Muslim take onLittle Women.A review published inThe GuardianbyJenny Colgansparked a fierce backlash on social media after Colgan questioned whether Hussain "really need[s] to put her name to a novel, too, when there's only so much shelf space to go around?" and accused Hussain of being "greedy".
Her autobiography,Finding My Voice, was published by Headline Publishing Group in 2019. It includes some of her own recipes and poetry.
Hussain's cookery bookNadiya’s Everyday Bakingwas published by Michael Joseph in 2022.It hit the Sunday Times Bestsellers List, charting at number five in the Manuals chart.
In 2018, Hussain launched her own Homeware range in collaboration withBlissHome. The collection features designs across a full tableware range, as well as spice racks, candles, aprons, oven gloves and tea towels.
Hussain'sMake Life Colourful Range from BlissHomewon 'Best Brand Licensed Homewares Product or Range' at the 2019 Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards.
In 2023,Schwartzpartnered with Nadiya Hussain, to co-create nine products, including recipe kits, mixes and seasonings.
Hussain was commissioned byBuckingham Palaceto bakeElizabeth II's cake as part of her 90th birthday celebrations. Hussain chose to bake an orange drizzle cake with orange curd and orange buttercream.
At the age of 20,Hussain married Abdal Hussain, whom she had only met once before, in anarranged marriage; they had married in areligious traditional ceremonyin Bangladesh and only legally registered their union in the UK in December 2018.They have two sons, Musa and Dawud, and a daughter, Maryam.She has spoken about her earlier struggles of being in an arranged marriage, saying "It's tough – you are pretty much marrying a complete stranger... We had to live through the good and the bad, and have come out the other side."
Hussain is an ambassador forStarlight Children's Foundation, which supports the lives of seriously ill childrenand is also aWaterAidambassador.Hussain has shown her support forArmistice Dayby wearing a 'poppy headscarf', designed to commemorate the number of Muslim soldiers who fought in World War One, as well as promote the wearing of the poppy amongst British Muslims.In 2018, Hussain became a brand ambassador forSwarovskion a campaign focusing on female empowerment.
Hussain has suffered frompanic attacksthroughout her life.She contributed a baking recipe for the YoungMinds mental health charity's HelloYellow day, for World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2018.
She was appointedMember of the Order of the British Empire(MBE) in the2020 New Year Honoursfor services to broadcasting and the culinary arts.
In October 2024, Hussain has revealed her diagnosis of two autoimmune diseases, emphasizing the importance of self-care and listening to one's body.