Nadiya Hussain reveals she's now had to quit teaching job after career change following BBC axe

The Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain has now revealed another shocking career update after revealing she decided to work in a school.

The 41-year-old chef and TV personality, who won GBBO in 2015, told fans this week she had pivoted to a career in education rather than another TV role.

After winning the series, Hussain went on to present cookery shows for the BBC, including Nadiya Bakes, Nadiya’s Fast Flavours, and Nadiya’s Simple Spices.

However, her TV career with the BBC came to an unexpected end last year, with Hussain confirming in June that the channel had ‘decided they didn’t want to commission the show another more’, which she described as a ‘huge turning point’.

Following the cancellation, Hussain said other TV channels, like ITV and Channel 4, got in touch about a new series. But she chose to work in a ‘lovely’ primary school as a teaching assistant, because working on a new series was ‘not something’ she wanted to do at the time.

“The plan is to gain some training and maybe in the future become a teacher,” she shared this week with Woman & Home.

“I had to do an application form, an interview, go in and sit in with the kids, and see how they reacted to me.”

But in an emotional video this week, Hussain revealed she had to quit her job for a heartbreaking reason.

As she wiped tears from her eyes, Hussain gave fans the details about the school job. “So, as you guys know when the BBC cancelled my show, I was kind of at a crossroads, I wasn't sure where I was going, what I wanted to do,” she began.

“I had loads of options, I toyed with lots of options, open a business I could do a pop-up restaurant or kitchen, none of which appealed to me at the time.

“I'm still obviously publishing books, cookbooks which I will always love but I kind of reluctantly, you know I was scared, really scared to apply for jobs.”

She shared why she was inspired to work with children, explaining ‘apart from raising my own children, it was one of the best jobs I’ve ever done’.

Hussain continued: “I loved every second of waking up in the morning with a spring in my step for these beautiful children. I just loved every second of doing that job.

“But unfortunately doing a job like that as somebody with a weakened immune system just played havoc with my health.

“As you know anyone who works in a school setting there are lots of coughs and colds bugs and I just couldn't get better.

“So, I was sick all the time and it got to the point where it was affecting my mental health and I just wasn't performing, giving my best because I was always sick.”

“I had to make a really tough decision, one of the toughest I've ever had to make was stepping away from that job.

“I was there for a little over three months and loved every single second of it and more than anything I just loved seeing the children grow.

“It made me realise that there are certain sectors I would like to work in and so it's just focused me in some ways because I know what areas I would like to work in.

“But unfortunately with a weakened immune system working as a TA in a primary school was just proving impossible and it was one of the hardest decisions I had to make to step away for it.

“I had to do it for the sake of my health but I worked with some amazing people over the last three months and they know who they are.

“I was so lucky the primary school, gave me an opportunity to do this job and I loved every second of it but unfortunately it wasn't to be.

“But it has made me think about what's important to me and what I wanted to do and sometimes you have to make tough decisions in life.

“These are just little seasons in life, and you have to get through them you have to make difficult decisions, and they are not always easy but you have to make them and sometimes it's ok to put yourself first.

“In this situation I had to put my health first, I'm better for it but I'm sad, really sad, I made some great connections and could see things happening and staying there for years.

“Yes, it was a tough decision but it was one I had to make but it's give me focus and made me realise what I am capable of doing as someone with a weakened immune system."

Nadiya finished with a positive outlook: “So back to drawing board and figuring stuff out.”