Chef and baker Nadiya Hussain rose to fame after finding success on The Great British Bake Off back in 2015. Since winning seven years ago she has become a regular on our television screens and had numerous books published.
In an interview with PA, the 37-year-old has opened up on overcoming shyness and how her sister-in-law’s death has changed her. Nadiya has seen huge success since winning the sixth series of Bake Off, achieving best-selling recipe books and fronting her own cooking shows.
But being in the limelight wasn't something the mum-of-three - who shares two sons, Musa and Dawud, and daughter Maryam with husband Abdal - was used to at the beginning.
“At the very beginning of my career, I felt quite timid, I felt quite shy. I kept being told that I should be grateful for the opportunity, I remember hearing that quite a lot,” Nadiya told PA.
“I’m getting better at not being so self-deprecating and saying, ‘Absolutely, this is my career. This is what I’m really good at’.”
The 37-year-old mum also spoke about the cruel comments she receives from online trolls and says she 'steps away'. “I’ll hear words like ‘foreigner’ and really not very nice things," she explained.
"That always really upsets me because I don’t think other people in my position who perhaps are publishing books would have the same sort of hurdles as me to jump. I get questioned about my colour, about my faith, about my political stance, I get questioned about so many different things…actually it would be lovely to be left alone just to do what I’m good at."
In June, Nadiya took to Instagram where she shared with her followers that she'd sadly lost her sister-in-law, Ramana – who was diagnosed with stage four cancer in January. She was 34 and left behind her husband and two children.
Nadiya said losing her sister-in-law is "going to shape me differently as a mum" adding: “She was so young – it does make you realise that we are just mere mortals and that we are not going to be here forever.
"In those moments when I feel really annoyed with my kids, I’m like, ‘You know, she would have wanted to be here with her kids, so take this moment just to not bubble over with anger’. It definitely is going to shape me differently as a mum since losing her.”
She encourages anyone concerned about their health to seek medical advice as soon as possible, adding: “I think the pandemic and not being able to get a diagnosis properly for a few years probably did not help situation. What my brother-in-law always says is just don’t be shy. Talk to someone, talk to them fast and get their attention.”
Nadiya’s Everyday Baking by Nadiya Hussain is out now. Her TV series of the same name currently airs on Wednesdays from 8.30pm over on BBC Two.
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