'He's what you'd call a dreamboat': Bake off winner Nadiya Hussain on husband's new fame as she reveals she nearly quit the show
Her tear-jerking victory won the hearts of the nation, making this year's Great British Bake Off the most watched ever peaking at 14.5million viewers for the final.
But winner Nadiya Hussain has revealed she nearly quit the show - before even starring in it.
Posing with her 'dreamboat' husband and children in an adorable family shoot, Nadiya told Hello! magazine: 'Before I did Bake Off I did wonder if, after 10 years of being at home, I was work ready.'
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Ready or not: Nadiya deliberated whether she was ready to star in Bake Off after being at home for 10 years
Speaking in Hello! magazine, she said: 'When I was called for the final 12 I nearly rang to tell them I couldn't do it.
'My speech when I won came from somewhere deep. It was all about the boundaries I put on myself. But with each week of Bake Off another boundary fell away until I felt completely open and free to run as far as I wanted. I feel there's nothing I can't do.'
Smiling with her family - husband Abdal and their children Musa, nine; Dawud, eight; and Maryam, five - she can't believe she is not the only one who has gained popularity with the show.
She said her husband now has his fair share of fans too.
Glee: Nadiya can't believe she is not the only one who has gained popularity with the show
'I believe he's what you'd call a dreamboat, that's what it says in the papers,' she said, 'Or "the Hottie with the Cappuccino Skin!" That's what I call him now.
'It's not all that surprising though because he is lovely and quite handsome.'
The 30-year-old also spoke about gaining and losing weight after having her three children.
She told Hello!: 'After I was married and a mum, I got comfortable, my husband loved me, the house was warm, I was happy. I was a size 16/18.
Winner: The Bake Off star gained an army of Nadiyators as making this year's final the most watched yet peaking at 14.5million viewers
Nation's new sweetheart: Nadiya is ready to take on the world with 'dreamboat' hubby by her side after winning Bake Off
'I decided three years ago to do something about my weight. I briefly tried meal replacements and lost a stone but they didn't suit me. Instead, I just ate smaller portions of food and walked a lot. I would do five miles before the kids got up and then go out again in the evening. I also drank around 4L of water a day. Gradually, over nine months I lost three stone.'
Nadiya reflected on how since her win she's been hailed as a role model to many, which she says is a 'fantastic thing'.
'From everyone's responses it seems I'm representing Muslims, Bangladeshis, Luton, Leeds, stay-at-home mums, wives, mothers, the list seems to get bigger.
'But it's actually a fantastic thing that so many people on so many levels can relate to me. That feels like quite a privilege.'
After gaining her army of Nadiyators she definitely wants to keep baking and cooking.
Hours after the nation discovered she had won, the mother-of-three revealed how she had hidden her winning cake stand trophy beneath her bed immediately after filming wrapped at the end of June.
The emotional victory won the hearts of viewers and meant even hardened baker Mary Berry, 80, broke down - but Nadiya said she had been 'teetering on the edge' of giving the game away before the final.
'I'd love to do telly and write a book and whatever else comes along, nothing's sealed yet. None of this feels like work, it feels like fun,' she told the magazine, adding: 'I'm having such an amazing time, I never imagined I would enjoy it so much. I want to grab it with both hands and say 'It's mine!''
Read the full interview in Hello! magazine out now.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3278520/Bake-winner-Nadiya-Hussain-husband-s-new-fame-reveals-nearly-quit-show.html#ixzz3oyBEbRgS
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