Key Highlights
- Nadiya Hussain steps back from a new teaching assistant role due to health issues.
- The 41-year-old was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and a gastro autoimmune disease in 2024.
- Hussain shared the emotional update in a tearful Instagram video, revealing that working in a school environment proved too much for her weakened immune system.
- She described waking up “with a spring in my step” but found herself repeatedly unwell due to constant exposure to coughs and colds in the classroom.
SHOWBIZ Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain has taken a dramatic turn, stepping back from her new career as a primary school teaching assistant after just three months. The decision was not an easy one for the 41-year-old, who shares her health struggles in a heartfelt Instagram video.
From Great British Bake Off to Health Struggles
The former champion of the BBC baking competition faced a crossroads following the cancellation of her cookery show. At the time, the broadcaster said she remained “a much-valued part of the BBC family” and hoped to work with her again in the future.
Diagnosed Health Conditions
Hussain was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2024 and lives with a gastro autoimmune disease. These conditions play havoc with her immune system, making it difficult for her to recover from minor illnesses like coughs and colds that are commonplace in a school setting.
Health-First Decision
“Anyone who works in a school setting knows there are lots of bugs,” Hussain explains. “I just couldn’t get better. I was sick all the time, and it got to the point where it was affecting my mental health because I wasn’t giving my best.”
She adds, “Sometimes it’s OK to put yourself first.” For Hussain, putting her health first meant stepping away from a role she had always wanted. “I’d always wanted to work with younger children as a teaching assistant,” she says. “Applying for jobs was really scary.”
New Opportunities and Future Plans
Hussain sought out new opportunities after the BBC decided not to recommission her cookery show last year. She got a job as a TA at a primary school, which she describes as one of the best jobs she’s ever done—until her health took a toll.
Despite having various offers from broadcasters including Channel 4 and ITV, Hussain is not ruling out a return to television but wants greater creative control in any future projects. “If I was doing another cookery show, I’d like a bit more creative control,” she says. “I would also love to make documentaries and travel programmes about issues that matter.”
For now, the author and mother-of-three is back at the drawing board, focused on her health and future plans.
