Mary Berry mentioned as Nadiya Hussain pivots from TV to teaching after BBC pullback
Nadiya Hussain, the Bake Off winner who rose to prominence from the 2015 series, has shifted course after the declined further cookery commissions and she has since moved into classroom work while reordering her media career. The change matters because it highlights disputes over commission decisions, public reaction to a high-profile Muslim woman, and Hussain’s decision to take direct control of her future.
decision and Instagram post
Hussain publicly reacted last summer when she posted a video on Instagram saying the had decided not to commission another cookery show with her. The broadcaster stated: “After several wonderful series we have made the difficult decision not to commission another cookery show with Nadiya Hussain at the moment. ” Hussain said she had known since 2024 that her book Rooza would not be attached to a TV series and learned last year that a series tied to Nadiya’s Quick Comforts would also not be made. In that post she described industry “gaslighting” and said that, as a Muslim woman, she has not always been supported or allowed to fulfil her potential.
Nadiya’s Quick Comforts book and its recipes
Nadiya’s Quick Comforts contains a chapter devoted to deep frying — with cheese balls and deep-fried cannelloni among the ideas — and features golden syrup dumplings as well as plant-based dal and noodle recipes. She laughed that if she could write an entire book on deep frying she absolutely would, and chided an interviewer over a warning about attempting deep-fried cookie dough balls. Hussain framed the book as reflective of how she cooks and feeds her family, and cautioned that extremes in food trends are dangerous.
Rooza, timelines and career control
Her book Rooza was published in 2025 and was inspired by dishes from across the Islamic world, particularly those associated with Ramadan and Eid. She had known since 2024 that Rooza would not be linked to a TV series, and last year discovered that Nadiya’s Quick Comforts would also not receive a series. Soon after the Instagram post she left her agent and manager and took direct control of her career. Hussain described the past year as intense, exposing and enlightening, and said it gave her the chance to plan the next 10 years and to shape the landscape for herself; she said the process was scary but enjoyable. A trailing detail in one source is unclear in the provided context.
Teaching assistant role, Open University degree and new plans
Hussain told Woman & Home magazine that she is currently working as a teaching assistant at a “lovely little primary school” and plans to become a teacher. She previously earned a degree in childhood and youth studies from the Open University. One headline adds that she revealed quitting a new job after three months following her exit; which specific post she left is unclear in the provided context.
Public reaction, race hate and Britain in 2026
The move into teaching drew both praise and derision. Reaction included mockery and, in some cases, race hate directed at Hussain. Commentators framed the backlash as reflective of the social mood in Britain in 2026 and argued that the response showed a failure to celebrate a well-known underdog. One commentator said he would rather see more classroom assistants and teachers in society than more celebrity chefs, calling Hussain’s choice to work in schools a valuable contribution.
Mary Berry and the Bake Off lineage
The conversation about Hussain’s trajectory is shaped by the Bake Off lineage and wider cookery-show traditions; mary berry is referenced in public discussion as part of that cultural backdrop. Observers note that Hussain filled a gap in British cookery television by offering authenticity drawn from her home and family, compared in one analysis to figures such as Madhur Jaffrey and Ken Hom. That piece also recorded personal reactions from a commentator who traced his own culinary education back to Keith Floyd at age 14 and later influences including Delia Smith, Rick Stein and the Hairy Bikers.
Hussain has also said she is paid less than the white version of her, a comment that has joined discussions of race, remuneration and representation. What makes this notable is that the dispute over commissions, the public response and Hussain’s pivot into education are interconnected: the ’s decision led to visible career changes, which in turn provoked a debate about how British media and audiences treat figures from minority backgrounds.
Hussain’s choices — leaving representation, publishing two books in consecutive years, taking a classroom post and planning a decade-long view of her career — together form a sequence of cause and effect that has reshaped her public role. The broader implication is that a high-profile presenter can move between media and public-service roles while forcing conversations about institutional decisions and public attitudes.
