Nadiya Hussain

Nadiya Jamir Hussain, born on December 25, 1984, in Luton, Bedfordshire, is a second-generation British Bangladeshi. She developed her cooking skills at school and further enhanced them through self-study, utilizing recipe books and online videos, as her mother did not bake. Before her rise to fame, she was a full-time mother of three, living in Leeds and pursuing a degree in Childhood and Youth Studies from the Open University.

Hussain gained widespread recognition after winning the sixth series of BBC’s ‘The Great British Bake Off’ in 2015. Her victory was watched by over 15 million viewers and was seen as a significant step in shifting stereotypes and promoting cultural diversity. Following her win, she signed contracts with the BBC for several cooking series and documentaries, including ‘The Chronicles of Nadiya’ and ‘Nadiya’s British Food Adventure’. She also became a regular contributor to ‘The One Show’ and a columnist for ‘The Times Magazine’. In 2016, she had the honor of baking a cake for Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday celebrations, an orange drizzle cake.

Throughout her career, Hussain has authored numerous cookbooks and children’s books, with titles like ‘Nadiya’s Kitchen’ and ‘Bake Me A Story’ becoming bestsellers. Her influence extends beyond cooking; she has openly discussed her struggles with panic disorder in a Sport Relief film and addressed childhood anxiety in her book ‘My Monster and Me’, becoming an ambassador for mental health charities. She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for her contributions to broadcasting and culinary arts. In October 2024, she disclosed her diagnosis of two autoimmune diseases, emphasizing the importance of self-care.