Nadiya Hussain has slammed social media users who she says have been targeting her online in the wake of her BBC cookery shows being canned.
The Bake Off winner had her shows shelved last month and has made no secret of her anger at the Beeb’s decision, claiming she “wouldn’t be grateful” for the opportunity and that she “no longer fit in the BBC’s box”.
Just this week, the 40-year-old appeared on Paul C Brunson’s podcast, We Need to Talk, where she pulled no punches when delivering her verdict on why the BBC came to its decision.
“I have opinions and I have things to say. They’ll keep you until you’re of no use to them. And I think that’s what happened,” she told the host.
She also said: “And the second you don’t fit the box… there’ll be no space for you. And I suppose I don’t fit that space anymore… My show got great ratings, I can’t see why my show wasn’t recommissioned.”
It’s not the first time Hussain has publicly slammed the BBC since it confirmed it wouldn’t be giving the green light to further projects involving the celebrity baker.
However, the fallout from publicly attacking the corporation has resulted in the Bake Off winner facing “harassment” and “bullying” from social media users, something she called out in a new video shared on Thursday.
Hussain told her one million followers: “Hi guys, so I’ve stayed quiet for a while on this… when I think about it, I’ve been quiet for years really hoping that things would calm down every time it happens, but at this point, it’s becoming impossible to ignore.
“I can see it happening again and again. It’s those passive-aggressive posts, it’s the sub-tweets, it’s the comments that are meant to stir up others against me without saying my name outright, and in some cases, saying my name.
“Some people are actively encouraging others to come after me, to bully me, and to try to tear me down.
“I just wanna be really clear, this isn’t drama, this isn’t online stuff, it’s harassment. And it’s affecting me more than you probably realise.”
The Nadiya Bakes star went on: “I don’t expect everyone to like me, or agree with everything that I say or do, but that’s life. There’s a difference between having a disagreement and intentionally trying to turn people against someone.
“When you rally others to mock or to shame or to isolate someone online, that’s bullying. Plain and simple. And the fact that some of you are doing behind fake captions or laughing it off in group chats, that does not make it any less harmful.”
Addressing one specific criticism she’s faced, Hussain explained: “I’m not saying this for attention by the way, I’m not trying to play the victim as so many people are saying, I’m speaking out because this kind of behaviour has gone too far. And being silent only enables it to continue.
“I’ve tried to brush it off, be the bigger person, but I’m human, and it hurts. If you have an issue with me, talk to me directly, no problem. Don’t turn it into a game where everyone gets to pile on and pretend that it’s harmless fun, because it’s not. I’m not pretending.
“This isn’t about cancelling anyone, it’s about drawing a boundary. I deserve respect, we all do, and I won’t allow myself to be treated like this anymore, online or anywhere else.
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“I think it’s really important for you to do better for yourself or anyone else watching you online who might think that this kind of behaviour is okay, because this kind of behaviour is not okay.”
Hussain reiterated her stance in the accompanying caption, writing: “I think it’s important to speak, online bullying is not acceptable, and we cannot stay quiet forever.
“For all my lovely followers, thank you for your beautiful words of encouragement always, for the haters, well you can go straight to the bin! Also, I really love my scarf in this post. It has wrapped me up in joy @the.scarfloungeuk,” she added before signing off with the hashtags: “#notokay #onlinebullying #needstostop #speakup.”
Fans of the baker soon flocked to the comments to show their support for Hussain, including the aforemention Brunson who shared: “We stand with you!”
Elsewhere, one follower reached out: “What you are describing is absolutely despicable. I am so sorry you are experiencing this.
“I think you are great to speak out about it and I know there will be a lot of people who support you who outweigh the haters and trolls.”
And a second echoed: “I’m so sorry you’re having to put up with these hideous people. You are amazing, thank you for speaking out and the scarf looks fabulous.”
Meanwhile, a third supported Hussain: “You radiate warmth and are such a beautiful soul. They will never tear you down. I’m sorry you have to go through this.” (sic)