{"id":456088,"date":"2026-03-03T23:17:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T23:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/456088\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T23:17:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T23:17:14","slug":"i-cant-be-mary-berry-at-90-nadiya-hussain-on-race-and-her-bbc-cookery-show-ending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/456088\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I can\u2019t be Mary Berry at 90\u2019: Nadiya Hussain on race and her BBC cookery show ending"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your support helps us to tell the story<\/p>\n

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n

Your support makes all the difference.Read more<\/p>\n

Nadiya Hussain<\/a> says she dreams of cooking on TV<\/a> into old age \u2013 but that longevity in the industry isn\u2019t afforded to everyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would like to have seen myself where Mary Berry<\/a> is at 90 years old, still cooking on television<\/a>, I would have loved that for myself,\u201d says the 41-year-old, \u201cBut that\u2019s a dream that I can\u2019t live up to because I\u2019m not white.\u201d<\/p>\n

The British-Bangladeshi chef<\/a>, author and TV presenter<\/a>, who won the Great British Bake Off in 2015 and was catapulted to fame, spent 10 years making cooking shows for the BBC<\/a>, but the shows weren\u2019t recommissioned last year \u2013 a decision she says \u201cshocked\u201d her.<\/p>\n

The mum-of-three notes that it\u2019s \u201creally hard to pick a few\u201d Muslim<\/a> female chefs on TV<\/a>. \u201cBecause we don\u2019t have longevity. I can\u2019t even find another Muslim woman to equate myself to, or stand shoulder-to-shoulder with.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard not to feel like a token, because it\u2019s almost like we\u2019re allowed a certain amount of space, until that space no longer exists for us \u2013 when the box has been ticked. There\u2019s this kind of show of, \u2018Look, we\u2019re inclusive\u2019, until we\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n

The TV chef<\/a> and cookery author has released her 11th cookbook, Nadiya\u2019s Quick Comforts, celebrating the food<\/a> she makes so often at home, which is fast to make and designed to be enjoyed slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is exactly where I am and what I cook for my kids, because my eldest is moving out soon, and then my second will be moving out at the end of the year, and all they want is comfort food<\/a>. All they want is yummy food that\u2019s delicious.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hussain is entering a new era, without a TV show on the horizon, as she did for so long and \u201cit\u2019s scary\u201d, she says.<\/p>\n

Regularly publishing a cookbook, followed by a TV series, had become the norm for her. \u201cI\u2019d gone into autopilot where I was like, \u2018I\u2019ve got a book, of course I\u2019m going to do a series\u2019, and when that was taken away from me, I didn\u2019t have a conversation with anyone, it was just taken away from me with no explanation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Nadiya\u2019s<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Nadiya\u2019s Quick Comforts is her 11th cookbook \u2013 a collection of the fast, deeply comforting dishes she cooks for her family at home (Penguin)<\/p>\n

Last year, she published a cookbook about Ramadan, in which, for the first time, she \u201cattached faith and food together\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cUp to that point, I was the digestible version of myself for the general public,\u201d she says, and now had become \u201ctoo much\u201d for some people. \u201cI thought, you know what, in that case, I have not been enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the BBC<\/a> cancelled the show, I thought to myself, \u2018Oh, I see what\u2019s happening\u2019. And so from that point, I got rid of my management. I needed to start from scratch. [I thought] 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\u2019t sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

So rather than a rejection, Hussain saw it as a wake-up call \u2013 and a chance to show her children what matters.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think what\u2019s really important for the kids to see is integrity. And I look back at 10 years and going in that autopilot mode and just doing as I\u2019m told, because that\u2019s what will get you the book deals, and that\u2019s what will get you the TV, and that\u2019s where you just, just comply, comply, comply.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy daughter\u2019s struggle will be different as a Muslim woman in this society. My sons will have their own struggles, always less so because they\u2019re men \u2013 her struggles will be greater. And what I\u2019m 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since that famous Bake Off win, where Hussain pulled on the nation\u2019s heartstrings with an impassioned speech about believing in herself, she has come a long way. \u201cYou do a lot of self-reflection and growth in 11 years,\u201d she notes. \u201cI\u2019ve changed so much, and this and every year, I feel like more myself than I ever have.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s knowing yourself, and I think that shows in the way I cook. I\u2019m not scared to just say, this is what I love to do. And I\u2019m not scared to say I deep-fry three times a week, and that\u2019s absolutely fine,\u201d she laughs. \u201cI could write an entire book on deep-fat frying, I absolutely would, because it gives you a texture that nothing else can give you.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a world that often encourages us to cut back on certain foods, Hussain is instead encouraging us to see food as warmth and safety. Whether that\u2019s deep-frying cheese strings or the corn pakoras she serves up instead of biscuits when people come round to her house for tea. You\u2019ll find easy family-friendly tray bakes \u2013 like shawarma fries or frankfurter bacon sarnies \u2013 alongside an all-in-one-pan chicken roast dinner that takes less than an hour.<\/p>\n

\"Hussain<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Hussain says she now feels more \u2018unapologetically\u2019 herself than ever (Chris Terry)<\/p>\n

And if you thought crumpets were just for butter and jam, try Hussain\u2019s savoury crumpet dish \u2013 torn and fried up with onions, chilli and egg, and sprinkled with coriander.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are so bound by rules and habit,\u201d she notes, \u201cbut if you step out of your comfort zone, you actually do really wonderful things with simple ingredients. I\u2019ve been having savoury crumpets for years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, it wouldn\u2019t be comfort food without dessert; think brown butter pecan coffee cake and croissant berry pudding slices.<\/p>\n

With every book, and each year that passes, Hussain feels more comfortable being \u201cunapologetically\u201d herself. \u201cI think once you get to your forties, there\u2019s a comfort in your own skin. I thought thirties was the decade. It\u2019s not, it\u2019s 40. I used to think 40 was really old, when I think back, but actually, I feel more alive now than I ever felt.\u201d<\/p>\n

And \u201cI\u2019m really excited about what that could mean for me in five or 10 years.\u201d Or when she\u2019s 90.<\/p>\n

A BBC Spokesperson said: \u201cAfter many wonderful series, we made the difficult decision not to commission another cookery show with Nadiya Hussain<\/a> for the time being. We remain open to working with her in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Croissant berry pudding slices<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

A croissant berry pudding slice \u2013 rich, nostalgic and proof that comfort food doesn\u2019t need to apologise for itself (Chris Terry)<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is like a bread-and-butter pudding but \u2013 simply put \u2013 better,\u201d says Hussain. \u201cIt\u2019s made with an easy vanilla custard, which is baked around chunks of buttery croissant, laced with raspberries and white chocolate. It\u2019s comforting, warm and really hits the spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Serves: 8<\/p>\n

Prep time: 8 minutes | Cook time: 45 minutes<\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/p>\n

4 large croissants<\/p>\n

3 medium eggs<\/p>\n

300ml double cream<\/p>\n

100ml whole milk<\/p>\n

1 tsp vanilla extract<\/p>\n

3 tbsp caster sugar<\/p>\n

100g fresh raspberries<\/p>\n

50g white chocolate, chopped<\/p>\n

Icing sugar, to dust<\/p>\n

To serve:<\/p>\n

Clotted cream<\/p>\n

Method:<\/p>\n

1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan. Grease the inside of a 23cm cake tin.<\/p>\n

2. Take a sheet of baking paper, large enough to cover the base and sides of the tin, scrunch it into a ball, then un-scrunch the paper, flatten it out, and fit it into the tin. Grease the inside of the paper.<\/p>\n

3. Rip the croissants into small shreds and put them into the tin.<\/p>\n

4. Put the eggs into a bowl and whisk until broken up. Add the double cream, whole milk, vanilla and caster sugar, and mix until really well combined.<\/p>\n

5. Get a sieve, and strain the custard mix through the sieve, straight on to the croissants.<\/p>\n

6. Put the fresh raspberries on top, sprinkle over the white chocolate, and bake for 35 minutes.<\/p>\n

7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, then chill in the fridge. Dust with icing sugar and serve cut into wedges, with clotted cream.<\/p>\n

Fish and coconut curry<\/p>\n

\"Hussain\u2019s<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Hussain\u2019s fish and coconut curry nods to the flavours she grew up with (Chris Terry)<\/p>\n

\u201cI love a fish curry; I grew up on the stuff,\u201d says Hussain. \u201cOver the years, I\u2019ve learned to make it in lots of different ways. This version is rich and creamy and packed with coconut flavour. The addition of cashew nuts makes it extra special.\u201d<\/p>\n

Serves: 4<\/p>\n

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 35 minutes<\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/p>\n

3 tbsp vegetable oil<\/p>\n

100g whole cashews<\/p>\n

2 tsp garlic paste<\/p>\n

2 tsp ginger paste<\/p>\n

2 medium onion, peeled and blended to a smooth paste<\/p>\n

1 tsp salt<\/p>\n

\u00bd tsp ground turmeric<\/p>\n

1 tsp paprika<\/p>\n

3 tsp curry powder<\/p>\n

1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk<\/p>\n

400ml water<\/p>\n

150g mangetout<\/p>\n

80g baby spinach leaves<\/p>\n

2 x 280g pieces of cod, cut into chunks<\/p>\n

To serve:<\/p>\n

Microwave rice<\/p>\n

20g desiccated coconut, toasted<\/p>\n

A small handful of fresh coriander, chopped<\/p>\n

1 tsp chilli flakes<\/p>\n

Method:<\/p>\n

1. Put a 5l pot on the stove on a medium heat.<\/p>\n

2. Add the vegetable oil to the pot, and when the oil is hot, add the cashews and toast until golden. Now add the garlic and ginger paste, along with the onion paste from the blender.<\/p>\n

3. Add the salt and cook for a few minutes, until the onions are just golden brown.<\/p>\n

4. Add the turmeric, paprika and curry powder and cook for a few minutes. If the onion starts to stick, add a small splash of water.<\/p>\n

5. Pour in the coconut milk, then use the empty can to measure out the 400ml of water and pour that in too. Bring to the boil and cook on a high heat for 5 minutes.<\/p>\n

6. Add the mangetout, spinach leaves and cod chunks and cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes with the lid off.<\/p>\n

7. Serve with rice, and sprinkle with toasted coconut, chopped coriander and chilli flakes.<\/p>\n

Goat\u2019s cheese and onion tart<\/p>\n

\"Goat\u2019s<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Goat\u2019s cheese and onion tart, built on shop-bought puff pastry \u2013 simple, generous cooking designed for real life (Chris Terry)<\/p>\n

\u201cI love goat\u2019s cheese with caramelised onions, and this recipe pairs that brilliant flavour combination with flaky puff pastry, another thing that I really, really love,\u201d says Hussain. \u201cI hope you love this too!\u201d<\/p>\n

Serves: 6<\/p>\n

Prep time: 12 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes<\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/p>\n

Vegetable oil<\/p>\n

3 medium onions, peeled and sliced into rings<\/p>\n

1 tsp salt<\/p>\n

1 tsp caster sugar<\/p>\n

150g goat\u2019s cheese<\/p>\n

1 tsp dried thyme<\/p>\n

1 x 320g sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry<\/p>\n

Honey, to drizzle<\/p>\n

To serve:<\/p>\n

Simple green salad<\/p>\n

Method:<\/p>\n

1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan and line a 39cm baking tray with baking paper. Drizzle some oil over the paper and brush it all over in an even layer.<\/p>\n

2. Lay the onion rings all over the paper and sprinkle all over with the salt and sugar.<\/p>\n

3. Bake the onions for 10 minutes.<\/p>\n

4. Take the tray out of the oven, dot all over with the goat\u2019s cheese and sprinkle over the dried thyme.<\/p>\n

5. Place the puff pastry sheet on top and bake for another 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden.<\/p>\n

6. Take out of the oven and leave for 10 minutes, then flip out on to a board.<\/p>\n

7. Drizzle with honey, cut and enjoy with a simple green salad.<\/p>\n

\u2018Nadiya\u2019s Quick Comforts\u2019 by Nadiya Hussain (Penguin Michael Joseph, \u00a328)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":456089,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[6491,96,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-456088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=456088"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456088\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/456089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=456088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=456088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=456088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}