Bake Off legend insists she ‘won’t be grateful’ after TV show axed by BBC

Great British Bake Off icon Nadiya Hussain has spoken out following the response to her BBC show getting cancelled.

Earlier this month, the 40-year-old star shared that the broadcaster would not be commissioning another cookery show with her, despite a 10-year working relationship.

At the time, the GBBO series 6 winner thanked her supporters for ‘being on this journey with [her]’ and admitted that being dropped by the Beeb made her reassess ‘where [she] wants to be’.

Nadiya also vowed to go on working ‘with people who believe in the voices of people like [her]’, teasing more ‘exciting’ projects in the pipeline.

The BBC, which housed Bake Off when Nadiya took part, later issued a statement, confirming: ‘After several wonderful series, we have made the difficult decision not to commission another cookery show with Nadiya Hussain at the moment.’

And while the BBC is open to collaborating with her again in the future, Nadiya has now issued some fresh thoughts on how people have reacted to the news.

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Taking to her Instagram page tonight, the chef began in a lengthy video: ‘I have received tons of messages since talking about my situation with the BBC, messages from people telling me to be grateful for the opportunity and be thankful for how far I’ve come.

‘Now, my whole life, as a child in an immigrant household, I used to think I had to be grateful all the time because I watched my family, always grateful. Grateful for being let in, grateful for having work, even if underpaid, grateful for safety, even if it meant silence.

‘Always grateful, even when I feel tired, lonely, or disrespected.’

‘At first, gratitude felt right because it was instilled in me from a young age; it was all I saw,’ she reflected.

‘But after a while, it starts to get really heavy. 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.

‘Like, how dare you complain? Aren’t you lucky just to be here? But here’s what I’ve come to understand.’

Nadiya went on to say firmly: ‘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. I’m allowed to want better for myself and for my family. I’m allowed to speak up. I’m allowed to exist fully. Complex, emotional, hopeful, sometimes critical, just like anyone else.

‘So, gratitude has its place, but it shouldn’t be a muzzle, like a dog. We didn’t come here just to survive; we came here to live, to grow, to contribute, to belong, not as a guest, but as a person who has rights and dreams and dignity, just like everyone else.’

The baker ended on a poignant, empowering note: ‘So no, I won’t always be grateful, and that doesn’t make me ungrateful; it makes me human. That’s what it does.

‘So, I’ve got here through hard work, through determination, through talent, so no, I won’t be grateful. I got here because I’m good at what I do. Just something to think about.’

The comments section was soon flooded with messages of support, as the likes of TV presenter Fearne Cotton left a string of red hearts.

Singer Annie Lennox wrote: ‘One HUNDRED per cent!!!!!
Thank you for sharing your lived experience and perspective!!!
Gratitude should never become a silencing muzzle – as you SO rightly say!’

‘So true. Thanks so much speaking up [sic]’, commented Rahul Mandal, who won Bake Off in 2018.

‘Exactly this! Well said’, praised TV doctor Amir Khan.

Since triumphing in the Bake Off tent 10 years ago, Nadiya has fronted several shows for the BBC. These have included Nadiya Bakes, Nadiya’s Fast Flavours, and Nadiya’s Simple Spices.

While a new series has not been green-lit, bosses have assured fans that Nadiya remains ‘a much-valued part of the BBC family’.

Meanwhile, in her previous announcement video addressing the axe, Nadiya said that she is now focused on ‘being [her] most authentic self’ and working with those who ‘believe in [her] talent’.

The BBC has been contacted for comment.

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