The One Show: Nadiya Hussain gets emotional over fan messages
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In 2019, Nadiya Hussain bravely opened up about her sexual assault at the hands of a relative during her autobiography Finding My Voice. Looking back at her decision to put such a personal and horrific experience into the public eye, she admitted there are times where she does “regret” doing so.
This is a big part of me that I’m giving away
Nadiya Hussain
But the Great British Bake Off winner revealed that by thinking of the bigger picture and wanting to raise awareness of the horrors that both children and adults suffer everyday, made her want to speak out.
In a new interview, Nadiya opened up about her thought process of writing about her abuse in the memoir.
She was just five years old on a trip to see wider family in Bangladesh when she experienced something no one should ever have to go through.
“I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t regret [writing about it],” she shrugged.
“I think there were moments when I’d written it into the book, and then written it out, and then thought, ‘Oh, should I? Shouldn’t I?’”
She recalled asking her husband for advice before making the brave decision.
The TV star continued: “I said, ‘This is a big part of me that I’m giving away. Once it’s out there, I can’t take that back.’
“And I had to ask myself, ‘Why are you writing this? And who are you writing it for?’
“The reality is that I grew up in a community where every girl I’d come in contact with, that I was friends with, had suffered some sort of sexual abuse through the hands of…” she trailed off.
“…at the hands of a relative.”
While noting that this isn’t confined solely to any one community and taking into account the sheer number of people that experience some form of sexual abuse, she said: “In a group of girls; if every single one had suffered just the way I have, there’s a problem there that isn’t being addressed.”
Following the release of her book, the chef revealed she had met some “incredibly brave” people who came forward to talk about their own suffering.
For some, it was the first time they had ever spoken out about it, and Nadiya knew her story was making a big impact.
“That’s a big step for somebody and all adults who’ve spent their whole lives carrying this thing with them, just like me,” she told Radio Times.
“Often, within these communities, we don’t talk about sexual abuse or predatory behaviour.
“And so if it sparks something in a parent to say, ‘Actually, have I spoken about this to my children?
“‘Is this something that I’ve gone into detail about – what’s private and what isn’t private, and what is allowed and what isn’t allowed?’
“If it can just spark that conversation then I think that, to me, is job done.”
Nadiya’s full interview is available to read now in Radio Times.
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