Nadiya Hussain Details Hospitalisation from Extreme Burnout During BBC Filming
Great British Bake Off champion Nadiya Hussain has revealed she was once rushed to hospital in an ambulance due to severe burnout while filming, describing it as the most unwell she has ever been in her life. The 41-year-old, who worked with the BBC for a decade, claims she was not properly cared for by producers and felt abandoned during her collapse.
"No One There for You When You Crash"
Hussain explained to Closer magazine that during her final series, her health deteriorated so dramatically that emergency services had to be called. "I ended up in the hospital overnight. It was a burnout – I've never been so unwell in my life," she disclosed. The cookery star criticised the television industry's care standards, stating that while there's an assumption of support, the reality is "quite the opposite."
"You're propped up so you're well enough to do your job," Hussain asserted, describing how she relied on caffeine, chocolate, and cosmetics to maintain appearances on set. "I learned to cope with it and to keep going, but there's no one there for you when you crash." She expressed relief at no longer working under such pressure, emphasising she refuses to collaborate with those who don't value her worth.
BBC Show Cancellation and Industry Racism Claims
This revelation follows Hussain's previous allegations that racism within what she called a "broken" television industry and difficult conversations with producers led to the cancellation of her BBC cookery programme last year. She told Radio Times that producers seemed more preoccupied with superficial elements like her lipstick colour than the actual recipes.
"I'd had really difficult conversations, I was like: 'These are the people I don't want to work with any more. This doesn't align with me anymore. I need the recipes to be the focus,'" Hussain recounted. "I need it to be less about what I'm wearing, the props and the colour of my lipstick. It needs to be about the food. Not long after, my show was cancelled."
Faith, Gender, and Health Struggles
Earlier this year, Hussain suggested her Muslim faith contributed to her departure, feeling pressured to become a "palatable version of a Muslim" after publishing her Islamic cuisine book. She also addressed perceptions of being difficult to work with, attributing this to gender and racial bias. "Unfortunately, as a woman – and a woman of colour – if you speak up, often it's considered 'being difficult' or 'being a nuisance'," she noted, contrasting this with how men might be perceived.
Since leaving the BBC, Hussain parted ways with her agent and manager, briefly working as a primary school teaching assistant. However, she had to resign after three months due to fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition, and a compromised immune system. "I've had fibromyalgia since last year. A couple of weeks ago I had a flare-up and was in bed for five days," she shared, detailing her reliance on medication for pain, stress, and sleep management alongside ongoing anxiety struggles.
The BBC has been approached for comment regarding these allegations.
