Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Nadiya Hussain describes wedding day as one of the 'worst days' of her life

The 31 year old has been married to her husband Abdal for 11 years

Olivia Blair
Monday 15 August 2016 18:29 BST
Comments
Abdal and Nadiya Hussain at the National Television Awards in January
Abdal and Nadiya Hussain at the National Television Awards in January ( Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Nadiya Hussain has described her wedding day as one of the “worst” days of her life.

The Great British Bake Off champion married her husband Abdal when she was 19 in an arranged marriage. The couple have now been married for 11 years and have three children together.

While they have a long and healthy few years of marriage behind them now, Hussain said she cried throughout the “entire” wedding.

“I have to say my wedding day was one of the worst days of my life,” she says in her new documentary The Chronicles of Nadiya, reports the Mirror. “One of the unspoken rules is as a bride you have to behave submissively and look downcast.

“I was an emotional wreck and I cried through the whole thing. I didn’t smile very much. You are literally on show and it’s something I was always really uncomfortable with. The bride will often keep her head down. I never really understood it. It’s bizarre a bride is unhappy on her wedding day when really she should be happy.”

Hussain says that while the arranged marriage worked out for her, she “wouldn’t dream” of arranging her children’s weddings.

“If I was the person I am now, I certainly would not have gone into a contract. I wouldn’t take out a mortgage contract without knowing how much money I am putting in and what my mortgage is, so why would I sign a marriage contract where I don’t know what I am getting myself into?

"I want something different for my children. I wouldn't dream of arranging a marriage.” she said.

The baking extraordinaire has previously said she only met Abdal once before her wedding day and that was the day they got engaged.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in