Nadiya Hussain responds to critics

Have you seen what people say about Holly Willoughby? There are a LOT of comments saying she should be grateful as she got her career thanks to her producer husband. I can’t comment on Nadiya as I don’t care for cookery programmes or books so I’m not familiar with her work (don’t watch Bake Off), but people are often attacking Holly these days.

They probably wouldn't use that word if Mary Berry or Holly Willoughby were fired.

HW should defo be grateful for such a long run, she isn't very good!

I mean who else of Bake Off has had her longevity? I’m surprised it’s lasted this long.

This is just the way with TV chefs. They’re huge and then they’re not.
When I was a kid, Gary Rhodes was on EVERYTHING.
There are very, very few who manage to stay at the forefront and that’s usually because they do other things to bring them to the national conscious away from cooking. Food is a fashion and it moves on like fashion icons do.
If it was a race/ religion thing, she wouldn’t have been given the tv shows and book deals in the first place.

i admit i didnt watch her response to critics and am not commenting about that

I don’t know if some of you are intentionally missing the point or genuinely don’t see it. It’s not about her show being axed - she’s allowed to be upset about it (as anyone would if they had been sacked from work), but that’s not where the race conversation came from. That was clear in Nadiya’s response, in the OP and in several replies that followed. Why are so many of you talking about the “good run” she had? That’s not the topic of discussion. At all.

she did do well, she won us over winning bake off, not all bake off winners get a tv programme
it is an embarrassment for her to lose her tv show understandably

Yes, I think it’s the general sentiment of such patronising comments that have ‘triggered’ her for want of a better word. As the child of immigrant brown parents myself who has been the target of direct discrimination and continuing unconscious bias, it’s difficult enough with all the other life things one has to deal with so I can empathise why she perhaps feels as she does.

Same.
Always comes across as friendly and has easy to understand recipes, just lovely food instead of fancy bollocks 😁
I also watched her programme Anxiety and Me which could relate to so much.
Might have to rewatch some of her family recipes on iPlayer if they're still there and get some summer lunch inspiration!

Like most ethnic minority brands have to be to make it on TV in this country. Once we step out of line, there’s backlash.

It’s a problem.

Me too. It would be a good diversification.

I've never before heard a TV star being expected to be grateful for being given shows. Race related or not it's an odd expression to use.

She says in one quote she felt she was unfairly treated. I don’t think she was in terms of axing a show. Was she?

Yes, I think that's fine. She's understandably upset.

I saw that video and don't think she's saying her show shouldn't have been axed, she's saying she's allowed not to be 'grateful' all the time and be a nuanced human, as everyone else is

I don't now the ins and outs of tv ratings or the ending of her show, but when you are from a different race or disabled, expectations of constant continuing gratitude do take on a completely different meaning and are part of ensuring hierarchical attitudes to individual worth continue via the back door.

These day's it seems to be being also extended to those living in social housing or who have to claim any sort of benefits, no matter what conditions they are in or are imposed on them.

Of course people are grateful for small mercies, but they shouldn't have to be eternally grateful for what the majority expect to take for granted, especially when they have worked doubly hard for them.

Yes, and she’s saying that she should be allowed to be sad about that without having to always counter it by saying she is grateful to have had it.

I like Nadiyah and she’s expressed herself well imo. It’s not something I’ve thought about before as I don’t encounter it, but it makes sense to me.

Yes, I thought she should have focused on the baking more, that was her forte.

I mean she has a point she has had awful comments suggesting she should "know her place" place as a brown woman she should be grateful for opportunity, good for her for speaking up about this.

I think she's perfectly entitled to express her disappointment and actually she has been positive about pursuing other opportunities so I don't see her as moaning. The barrage of 'you should be grateful' comments she's referring to are typical of how this country treats people from ethnic minorities - people feel she should be grateful for being 'accepted' and having some success. But she is simply pointing out that she has got where she is through her talent, hard work and tenacity. That's not unreasonable.

I enjoyed "Nadya's Asian Odyssey", and I think maybe travel programmes could be her thing?

Agree she's had a good run on the BBC. Cookery shows are a v crowded market.
Even Delia Smith has moved on from conventional TV some years ago now. She could have grumbled that Jamie Oliver et al had taken her spot.

She shouldn't have to be grateful , but she always seems so very dramatic and attention seeking.
She still has a very sort after career - and has had her books published.

People do long running stints then it ends. It’s tough like losing any gig.

…her last series was pretty poor, loads of rehashed stuff, nothing new. She was a good baker, but a bob-average chef. She did well to make pots of money from winning a baking show.

I think she needs to understand that tv is brutal and very few cooks get more than a couple of series whatever their race. I must admit i haven’t enjoyed her later series, the dishes didn’t really make me excited and I don’t like her presenting style - much prefer Jamie Oliver (in fact perhaps controversially in all honesty I prefer cooking shows fronted by men, just me perhaps and don’t like Mary berry either).

rather than grateful she needs to be pleased with the success she has had and consider what she wants to do going forward.

She won Bake Off and she was fantastic. I feel sorry that her shows are cancelled, because I liked her and her programmes. However, commissions do depend on ratings. I hope that she finds something else to suit her talents.