Nadiya on Winning the Great British Bake Off

Nadiya expresses her feelings and thoughts in a PBS Food feature on her big win of the Great British Bake Off’s sixth season!

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Great British Bake Off fans weren’t the only ones feeling thrilled over Nadiya Hussain’s sixth season win. According to a PBS Food feature article, the judges were also enchanted by the personality, skills, and growth of the diminutive British-Bangladeshi baker on the show.

We teared up with Mary as they announced Nadiya’s win. The judge summarized it all with these comments:

"“I am really proud of Nadiya, not so confident to start with, but over the weeks she has grown in confidence. […] Nadiya’s Showstopper was stunning. Sheer perfection and I have enjoyed every minute.”"

Even steely-eyed Paul considered what she brought to the competition as “special”:

"“Her ideas, flair, her emotions and her passion were all in her bakes, she just nailed the whole Final. That was the best tasting Final we have ever had.”"

If she could elicit such a response from the seasoned judges, what did Nadiya feel herself about the whole thing?

Nadiya Talks About Her Win

Before the Final, the Nadiya pulled an all-nighter and even practiced in the morning before taking the train to GBBO. Though exhausted, she powered through the final 2 days of filming fueled by adrenaline.

Because she was married in Bangladesh where wedding cakes are not traditional, the Final showstopper was embued with extra meaning. The sari inspired cake was lemon drizzle, her non-cooking husband’s favorite.

"“As they announced the winner, all I remember is not wanting to look at anyone, so I looked down at my shoes, my heart was racing in my chest and I could hear it thudding in my head. I remember seeing that my shoes were covered in flour, and when I heard my name, I covered my face with my hands as I didn’t want anyone to watch me cry.”"

After filming was done she shared the wedding cake with her family at their table for a sweet moment. The most amusing story was about after the show finished and what she did until,it was broadcast:

"“[We] all had a great family party. My dad tried to swipe the trophy but he wasn’t getting it. After that I wrapped it in many layers of brown paper, put it in a suitcase and hid it under the bed incase anybody saw it. Now it can come out and take pride of place in our living room.”"

On Her Favorite Bake and Social Media

And if you are curious, Nadiya mentions that the chocolate peacock was her favorite bake. It was her “most intricate and artistic” effort on the show.

She was a bit taken aback by the social media’s fascination with her eyebrows and expressive face. Hoping to be remembered more for her baking skills, I don’t think she will have any trouble with that. Since GBBO, Nadiya has already baked a birthday cake for the Queen’s 90th birthday and starred in a two-episode show.

Next: 10 Best Bakes from Great British Baking Show Season 3

We’ll be watching to see what this well-deserved Great British Bake Off champ does next!