Bake Off’s Nadiya Hussain reveals her secret to a happy marriage

(Image credit: Getty)

Great British Bake Off’s Nadiya Hussain has revealed that her and her husband enjoy a happy marriage because they refuse to argue.

The cookbook author, who underwent an impressive weight loss earlier this year, appeared on ITV’s Lorraine where she spoke about her relationship with her husband, Abdal, and how they have made their 13-year marriage work.

‘In the 13 years we’ve never had full-blown shouting arguments ever,’ said Nadiya.

‘We disagree on things – we’re two very different people, we’re really different – but we just don’t argue.’

Nadiya, who recently released her new cookbook, credits this lack of conflict in their relationship to her other half’s patience.

‘I want to argue sometimes,’ she says, ‘but he just doesn’t, he just walks away.’

The TV cook, who won Great British Bake Off in 2015 with her creative baking (her unusual lasagne ingredient just says it all), explained how her and husband have a good relationship because they support each other and take turns looking after the family, so she can flit between working and being a stay-at-home mum.

‘If he didn’t support me I would not be here right now,’ said Nadiya. ‘When I first got married somebody said to me it’s half and half, 50/50.

‘Actually really early on, I realised that in any relationship somebody’s always putting in more

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‘At the very beginning, definitely the first eight years, he went off and did some amazing things and while he had a career I was at home looking after the children and the home and I definitely put in a lot more than he did.’

‘But right now it changes.

‘I think if you’re always striving for half and half that’s where you fight, but we never have half and half.’

The mother-of-three also opened up about her panic disorder and battle with anxiety, speaking about how there needs to be awareness of the issue.

‘I think the biggest problem with mental health disorders is that you become really good at faking it,’ she said. ‘We need to be more honest and speak about it.’

She emphasised this on her Twitter feed following the interview when she was trolled for being ‘another overpaid so called celeb whining about mental health problems’.

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Nadiya hit back at the user, writing: ‘Your attitude is the reason why mental health issues are brushed under the carpet. […] It can affect anyone. Stop being so ignorant. If you can’t be a part of the solution, don’t add to the problem’.

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Well done to Nadiya for standing up for mental health, being heard and raising awareness.

Aleesha Badkar
Lifestyle Writer

Aleesha Badkar is a lifestyle writer who specialises in health, beauty - and the royals. After completing her MA in Magazine Journalism at the City, the University of London in 2017, she interned at Women’s Health, Stylist, and Harper’s Bazaar, creating features and news pieces on health, beauty, and fitness, wellbeing, and food. She loves to practice what she preaches in her everyday life with copious amounts of herbal tea, Pilates, and hyaluronic acid.