Nadiya Hussain Voices Frustration Over Media Tokenism and Career Barriers
Nadiya Hussain, the celebrated British-Bangladeshi chef and television personality, has delivered a powerful critique of the media industry's treatment of Muslim women, arguing that genuine inclusion remains elusive. The 41-year-old, who captured national hearts after winning The Great British Bake Off in 2015, expressed a poignant desire for a career mirroring veteran chefs like Mary Berry but believes her ethnicity creates an insurmountable obstacle.
'A Dream I Can't Live Up To Because I'm Not White'
"I would like to have seen myself where Mary Berry is at 90 years old, still cooking on television, I would have loved that for myself," Hussain stated candidly. "But that’s a dream that I can’t live up to because I’m not white." Her remarks follow the BBC's decision last year not to recommission her cooking programmes, a move she labelled as "shocking." After a decade producing content for the broadcaster, Hussain highlighted the stark absence of other Muslim female chefs on screen, leading to feelings of being a "token."
"Because we don’t have longevity. I can’t even find another Muslim woman to equate myself to, or stand shoulder-to-shoulder with," she explained. "It’s hard not to feel like a token, because it’s almost like we’re allowed a certain amount of space, until that space no longer exists for us – when the box has been ticked." She added pointedly, "There’s this kind of show of, ‘Look, we’re inclusive’, until we’re not."
Professional Re-evaluation and Personal Awakening
The cancellation of her shows triggered a profound personal and professional reassessment for Hussain. She admitted that the routine of publishing a cookbook followed by a television series had become an "autopilot" process. "I’d gone into autopilot where I was like, ‘I’ve got a book, of course I’m going to do a series’, and when that was taken away from me, I didn’t have a conversation with anyone, it was just taken away from me with no explanation," she recalled.
This period of uncertainty, which she described as "scary," prompted her to dismiss her management team and "start from scratch." Hussain reflected on a previous cookbook focused on Ramadan, where she "attached faith and food together" for the first time, noting she had previously presented a "digestible version of myself for the general public." She sensed that after this, she had become "too much" for some audiences.
"When the BBC cancelled the show, I thought to myself, ‘Oh, I see what’s happening’," she said. "I cannot become this manufactured caricature version of myself that everybody thinks is sellable as a brand. I need to be the version of myself that allows me to sleep at night, because right now I can’t sleep."
Embracing Authenticity and Teaching Integrity
Hussain views this transformative shift as a crucial wake-up call, an opportunity to model integrity for her children. She contrasted her past compliance with her current assertive stance, stating, "My daughter’s struggle will be different as a Muslim woman in this society... And what I’m trying to teach her is that being compliant and submissive is not the way you speak your truth, you speak your mind, and it may make you less rich, but you will sleep at night."
Eleven years after her emotional Bake Off victory speech about self-belief, Hussain feels she has undergone significant personal growth. "I’ve changed so much, and this and every year, I feel like more myself than I ever have," she declared, embracing her authentic self even if it means confessing to deep-frying three times weekly.
New Cookbook and Culinary Philosophy
Her latest publication, Nadiya’s Quick Comforts, her eleventh cookbook, embodies this new chapter. It celebrates quick-to-prepare, slow-to-savour dishes she makes at home, especially for her soon-to-leave children. The book features inventive recipes such as:
- Deep-fried cheese strings
- Corn pakoras
- Shawarma fries
- One-pan chicken roast dinner
- Savoury crumpets with onions, chilli, and egg
Hussain encourages readers to break free from culinary conventions, noting, "We are so bound by rules and habit, but if you step out of your comfort zone, you actually do really wonderful things with simple ingredients." The book also includes desserts like brown butter pecan coffee cake and croissant berry pudding slices.
Looking Forward with Renewed Confidence
Now in her forties, Hussain feels a newfound comfort in her own identity. "I thought 30s was the decade. It’s not, it’s 40," she mused. "I used to think 40 was really old, when I think back, but actually, I feel more alive now than I ever felt." She expressed optimism and excitement for future endeavours.
A BBC spokesperson addressed the decision, stating, "After many wonderful series we made the difficult decision not to commission another cookery show with Nadiya Hussain for the time being. We remain open to working with her in the future."
Nadiya’s Quick Comforts by Nadiya Hussain is published in hardback by Penguin Michael Joseph, priced at £28, featuring photography by Chris Terry, and is currently available.
