Born in Luton in 1984, Nadiya Hussain won The Great British Bake Off in 2015. Since then, she has presented BBC food travelogue The Chronicles of Nadiya, as well as Nadiya’s British Food Adventure and cookery series Nadiya’s Family Favourites. Her debut cookbook, Nadiya’s Kitchen, was published in 2016, as was her first novel, The Secret Lives of the Amir Sisters. Hussain’s new cookware range Nadiya Loves, in collaboration with Prestige, will be available to buy in stores at John Lewis and from Prestige’s website from 14 March.
1. Film
This is about a magical house that’s losing its powers, and Mirabel has to solve the mystery. What’s really interesting about it is that there is no love story. I’ve got a little girl and it’s lovely for her to grow up watching films where the woman isn’t always saved – it’s the other way around. When my daughter watched it she said: “Oh my God, Mum, she looks just like you.” She has big curly hair that grows up and out like mine. That for me was a moment, because very rarely do I watch something where someone looks like me.
2. Podcast
I’ve been really getting into this over the past couple of months. In each episode, Jay Shetty talks about a particular topic: relationships, manifestation, how to make the most of your 2022. I particularly enjoyed the one on stress and anxiety. He has a very soothing nature – he used to be a monk, and he has taken those teachings into everyday life, which is a wonderful thing. As somebody who believes in God, to listen to someone like him who’s essentially taken the teachings of God to help us help ourselves – it really resonated with me. Everyone should listen to it.
3. Music
I didn’t know about Finneas, who is Billie Eilish’s brother and collaborator, until somebody on America’s Got Talent sang one of his songs. Break My Heart Again is my favourite song of his: he’s got a very distinctive voice, and the music is quite stripped back, no frills, so his voice and lyrics really shine through. I usually listen to music in the bath – that’s the only time I get to myself, even though there’s always somebody knocking, saying “Can I have this?” or “Do you know where that is?” So if I turn it up just loud enough, I can’t hear them and they can’t hear me.
4. Book
Untamed by Glennon Doyle (Vermilion)
I just finished reading this memoir. It was recommended by Heather, my friend and makeup artist, who got it on the recommendation of Adele. I read the first two pages and it got me straight away: it’s a chapter about a cheetah in a cage, and about freedom – is the cheetah used to living in a cage, or does it look for freedom even though it has lived life in captivity? Each chapter is short, snappy and thought-provoking, and some stories really stop you in your tracks.
5. Game
I think everybody is on to this now. I’m not big on fads and trends but this one I quite like. At first I refrained from telling my husband, because he’s good at everything – I was like: “You can’t have this, this is my thing.” Then I put it on our family chat. So now every morning we all do our Wordle, including my 11-year-old, and we see who the winner is. It’s really addictive, and a good quick game to play first thing. It’s lovely to have something we all engage with.
6. Food
Hotel Chocolat cafes
My husband and I go here all the time. It’s not fancy, but lots of people probably don’t know that Hotel Chocolat sometimes have cafes in them. They do the most amazing hot chocolate: it’s like a chocolate mousse, and they literally pile it so high you can’t see your face past the whippy chocolate stuff – it is absolutely delicious. My husband’s always like: “I don’t want any, because I know you’re gonna get halfway through, not be able to finish yours and get me to finish it.”
