The Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain is reflecting on her new career move following the end of her BBC series.
The chef and TV personality, 41, won the beloved baking competition series in 2015, before releasing several cook books and starring in her own cooking TV shows, including Nadiya Bakes, Nadiya’s Fast Flavours, and Nadiya’s Simple Spices.
In June last year, Hussain shared an announcement confirming that the BBC had ‘decided they didn’t want to commission the show anymore’, which the GBBO star called a ‘huge turning point’.
Nadiya's Quick Comforts
£21.33
“The BBC have decided that they didn't want to commission a show,” she commented. “And for me, that was a huge turning point because it's something I've done for the past 10 years.
"I was already on this steady trajectory of change and I was thinking about where I wanted my career to go, and when the BBC decided they didn't want to commission the show anymore, it really did kind of solidify everything for me, and it made me dig my heels in and think 'OK, I know where I want to be'."
A BBC spokesperson said it had made the ‘difficult decision not to commission another cookery show with Nadiya Hussain at the moment’.
The end of her TV career with the BBC has led to a big career shift for Hussain, who is now working in education. Reflecting on hearing about the BBC's decision, Hussain told Woman & Home: “The moment the BBC cancelled my show changed everything.
“I had a gut feeling that something wasn’t right because over the last 10 years, we’ve had a regimented timeline of when my cookbooks came out, and my cookery show would be filmed.
“We had the shoot dates pencilled in the diary, then I got a call from my agent saying, ‘The BBC doesn’t want to do the show any more'.
“I appreciate that it’s an industry, it’s a business and it’s about making money, but I still don’t know [why they let me go] because I haven’t had a conversation with anyone.
“There are no answers, no closure.”
Hussain said other TV channels, like ITV and Channel 4, had been in touch about a new series. However she decided working on a new series was ‘not something’ she wanted to do at the time.
Instead, she’s now working as a teaching assistant at a ‘lovely’ primary school.
“The plan is to gain some training and maybe in the future become a teacher,” she shared.
“I had to do an application form, an interview, go in and sit in with the kids, and see how they reacted to me.”
Hussain also revealed some of the reactions she had. “I did get people ringing me, asking, ‘Sorry, is this actually the Nadiya Hussain?’ and I’m like, ‘Yes, it is and i am looking for a job, and i would like an opportunity.’
“I’m really enjoying being in an environment where I’m not the centre of it.”
Most importantly, Hussain is happy about her career shift. “It’s weird because I’m having to straddle both worlds now, but I love that I’m a very small cog in a machine that helps raise other people’s children.
“I feel like this job is perfect for me. It’s my calling.”
Topics: UK Food, News, Celebrity, TV and Film
Greg Harris