Former Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain has suggested the BBC cancelled her cooking shows as she no longer fit the corporation’s “very neat box”.
Hussain was a fixture on the broadcaster’s schedules ever since she won the baking competition in 2015, but earlier this year revealed the BBC no longer “wanted to commission” her show.
The chef, whose shows included Nadiya's British Food Adventure, Nadiya’s Everyday Baking and Nadiya's Everyday Spices, said she was never given a “definitive” answer as to why she was dropped; her shows are believed to have drawn consistently strong audience figures for the broadcaster.
“I can’t see why there’s a reason why my show wasn’t recommissioned,” she told We Need to Talk podcast, adding that she believes she simply “no longer fit that space anymore”.
“To be fair, I’m not comfortable in boxes anyway,” she said. “I prefer a glass ceiling to smash through, thank you very much. But I suppose there’s no space for me and and and I’m kind of alright with that.”
Hussain also said she pre-empted the BBC’s announcement by releasing her own statement – but claimed the BBC asked her to reword it.
“I chose to put that post out because that’s the truth – they chose not to commission my show – but when we were going back and forth as to how to announce that, I got an email back saying, ‘This is a proposed statement and I think Nadiya should say: I no longer want to do my show on the BBC because I’m focusing on different projects.’ And I said, ‘That’s not the truth.’”
The Independent has contacted the BBC for comment.
At the time of Hussain’s announcement. a spokesperson for the broadcaster said: “After several wonderful series we have made the difficult decision not to commission another cookery show with Nadiya Hussain at the moment.”
They said Hussain is still “a much-valued part of the BBC family”.
Hussain has now said she is “starting from scratch” and, speaking about her future in the TV industry, revealed she is focused on “being my most authentic self, and working with people who believe my voice has a platform, and believing in my talent”.
“I think I’m going to be the truest, most honest version of myself, entirely unfiltered, with no management, nobody to tell me what I can do, can’t do, can say, can’t say. And only then will I know what space the industry has for me.
“But I’m not holding out for the industry to accept me because that’s what I’ve done my whole life. I will figure it out and I will find a space where I’m welcome.”
Hussain previously hit out at critics who told her to be “grateful” after she spoke candidly about being leaving the corporation.
In the aftermath of the news, the TV chef received “tonnes of messages” telling her to be “thankful” for the opportunity.
Addressing her experiences growing up in an immigrant household, Hussain said on Instagram: “Gratitude became something that I was expected to wear like a uniform. Anytime I voiced frustration or sadness or wanted more, I could feel the invisible pressure.
“I am allowed to feel more than just thankful. I am a human being, and I am allowed to feel angry when I’m treated unfairly.”
