Former Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain has made a candid claim about pay inequality in the TV industry, saying she believes she earns less than white presenters doing the same job.
The 41-year-old cook and author, who shot to fame after winning the BBC baking competition in 2015, spoke openly about her experiences in a recent interview, revealing she felt pressure for years to stay silent.
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Nadiya Hussain speaks out about race pay gap
“I get paid less to do the same job as the white version of me,” Hussain told The Guardian last month.
She added that earlier in her career she often held back from speaking out because every opportunity felt too important to risk.
“There were many times I actively silenced myself because everything felt like an opportunity. I never felt like I could just own it and say: ‘You know what, I’m actually good at this.'”
The baker and TV presenter has previously spoken about the lack of diversity in food television and publishing.
Reflecting on her career, she admitted it can be isolating being the only person like her in a room.
Hussain believes the industry remains deeply flawed, describing it as “broken”.
She added that over time she began to feel she had softened parts of her identity to fit into television.
“I’d become this palatable version of a Muslim that could be on television.”
BBC show cancellation
Last year, Nadiya also revealed that the BBC had decided not to commission another cookery show with her, despite the success of previous series. At the time, the broadcaster confirmed the decision.
“After several wonderful series we have made the difficult decision not to commission another cookery show with Nadiya Hussain at the moment,” they announced.
The decision came after several years of popular programmes including Nadiya Bakes, Nadiya’s Family Favourites and Time to Eat.
In an Instagram post after the announcement, Hussain called the moment a “huge turning point” in her career.
She later suggested she had come to realise how little control she had over her own career.
“I realised… I have zero control over this situation.,” she explained. “And I appreciate that it’s an industry, it’s a business and it’s about making money, but I still don’t know [why they’ve let me go] because I haven’t had a conversation with anyone. There are no answers, no closure.”
Turning her back on showbiz
The experience pushed her to reassess her future in television.
Recently, Nadiya revealed that she’d landed a job in a school. Speaking to Woman & Home she said: “I’m currently working as a teaching assistant at a lovely little primary school. The plan is to gain some training and maybe in the future become a teacher.
“I had to do an application form, an interview, go in and sit in with the kids, and see how they reacted to me. I did get people ringing me, asking: ‘Sorry, is this actually the Nadiya Hussain?’ and I’m like: ‘Yes, it is and I am looking for a job, and I would like an opportunity.'”
However, in her most recent update, Nadiya revealed she’s stepped back from her new role due to her fibromyalgia. It’s a condition that causes widespread pain throughout the body.
Posting on social media, she shared: “Unfortunately, doing a job like that as somebody with a weakened immune system, it just played havoc with my health. As you know, anyone who works in a school setting, there are lots of coughs and colds, bugs, and I just couldn’t get better.
“So, I was sick all the time and it got to the point where it was affecting my mental health and I just wasn’t performing, giving my best because I was always sick.”
A repeat of Nadiya’s Simple Spices airs Saturday (March 7) at 11.30am on BBC One.
Read more: How did Nadiya Hussain become famous, who is her husband and how much is she worth?
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