Growing up, I didn’t see that many Muslims on TV and we don’t see many now. But essentially I am a mother and that’s the job I know best.
— Nadiya Hussain
I first met my husband on the day we got married, when I was 20. I moved to be with him in Leeds, 165 miles from Luton. The kitchen was absolutely tiny. But I got my first hand-held mixer and first set of scales and first blue cake tin from Tesco and that was very exciting.
Growing up in Luton, we’d always eat on a cloth, placed on the floor of the living room, with no TV allowed. There were no chairs back in Bangladesh and Dad wanted to keep the tradition, so we never owned a dining table.
I only ever baked because it helped with my anxiety.
For me, it’s important to instil in my children that they can do whatever they like, that no matter what their religion and colour, they can achieve what they want through hard work.
The only reason we had an oven at home was because it came attached to the cooker. Mum would keep her frying pans in there and anything else that would fit. Storage was its only use.
I think I would have appreciated being at home with my kids a little bit more. Raising a child, surely that in itself is the biggest thing we’re ever going to do?
Once a month we have ‘dessert for dinner’ night. I’ll make four separate desserts. They’ll come home from school and eat as much cake and custard and ice cream as they can physically get in their guts. Because sometimes I think, let them just be children.
When I watch a TV show I wouldn’t notice if someone was Muslim or wearing a hijab. It’s nice to be on a show where your skin colour or religion is incidental.
Most summers we went to Bangladesh and stayed in Grandad’s village, filled with relatives. I’m one of 67 grandchildren.
I am as average as they get - there is nothing special about me. I’m just getting by.
