Nadiya Jamir Hussain, the winner of this series of the Great British Bake-Off, has given an interview to The Guardian where she responds to the comments people made around her being Muslim and winning the final.
Sadly, instead of recognising Nadiya's flawless final bake last week, some people have claimed that the final was "too PC", with Amanda Platell writing in The Daily Mail: “Now we’re down to the final three, it’s certainly a PC triumph. We are left with Muslim mum Nadiya Hussain, gay doctor Tamal Ray, and New Man Ian Cumming. Poor Flora Shedden never stood a chance. She was far too middle class — and was booted off this week after her chocolate carousel was deemed sub-standard. Perhaps if she’d made a chocolate mosque, she’d have stood a better chance.”
Meanwhile in the Sun, Ally Ross accused the BBC of "ideological warfare" for having such diverse bakers on the show.
While these comments caused many people to give a collective sigh, former* GBBO* contestant Ruby Tandoh was driven to speak out on Twitter, lamenting "the finalists who've had their whole worth reduced to 'PC bias'".
Asked about the ridiculous comments in the interview, Nadiya said:
“I don’t know. It’s all very … It’s just so negative isn’t it? For me, the experience is so much better if you don’t concentrate on negativity.” She added: “If anything, putting people of different cultures in the tent is the reason why they had amazing bakes this year".
YES Nadiya.
The baker and mother also talked about her skin colour and religion were incidental on a baking show - but felt proud to represent stay-at-home Mums and Muslims.
“It does feel nice, because essentially it’s a baking show, but that tent is also a symbol of British society today...I knew I represented different people – stay-at-home mums, Muslims, the [British] Bangladeshi community … [and] for each and every bit of me someone has said: ‘You have done a really good job for us; she seems like a good mum, she’s done well for Muslims and the Bengalis are proud.”
She added: “When I watch a TV show I wouldn’t notice if someone was Muslim or wearing a hijab...“It’s nice to be on a show where your skin colour or religion is incidental.”
"For me, it’s important to instil in my children that they can do whatever they like, that no matter what their religion and colour, they can achieve what they want through hard work. And it’s nice to be able to do the same for a wider audience. If I have – amazing.”
Earlier we wrote...
Last night Nadiya won *Great British Bake off - the final with *Tamal and Ian was watched by 13 million viewers. But instead of recognising Nadiya's flawless final bake, some people have claimed that the final was "too PC." Sigh.
Ahead of the final, Amanda Platell wrote in The Daily Mail: “Now we’re down to the final three, it’s certainly a PC triumph. We are left with Muslim mum Nadiya Hussain, gay doctor Tamal Ray, and New Man Ian Cumming. Poor Flora Shedden never stood a chance. She was far too middle class — and was booted off this week after her chocolate carousel was deemed sub-standard. Perhaps if she’d made a chocolate mosque, she’d have stood a better chance.”
Former GBBO contestant Ruby Tandoh (a finalist from 2013) spoke out about this on Twitter, calling Mary and Paul an "actual victorian relic" and a "walking gammon joint."
Ruby wrote: "one judge is an actual victorian relic, the other's a walking gammon joint, tell me again about bake off's - unbritish political correctness -."
She then tweeted: "if u think this is a terrible - slight - against their characters, what about the finalists who've had their whole worth reduced to 'PC bias." She then posted "p.s. i always, as a wise twitter person once said, tweet w the aim of losing my worst followers so farewell poopheads."