Great British Bake Off Winner Nadiya Hussain On Mary Berry: 'I Was Afraid Of Her'

The Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain has opened up about the popular BBC baking show’s judges, admitting that she was afraid of Mary Berry.

Featuring on the cover of the August issue of Good Housekeeping, Nadiya opens up about her new life, cake making for Her Majesty the Queen and her stint on Bake Off in 2015, which concluded in a triumphant result.

Copyright [Getty/Stuart C. Wilson/Stringer]

Reflecting on her time in the tent, the nation’s sweetheart admitted that Paul Hollywood – despite a (sometimes) stern exterior – managed to cheer her up when she became overwhelmed with the stress of filming.

“Paul comes across as being really stern, but he’s mushy,” she said.

“What you don’t see on camera is all the times when I was really upset and he’d come over and say, ‘Don’t cry, it will be alright’ or, ‘Get a grip, it’s just a baking show!’”

Copyright [Good Housekeeping]

And it’s not just Paul who scared Nadiya – as she admitted that she was even more wary of, 81-year-old national treasure, Mary Berry.

“Before, I was afraid of her, but she doesn’t feel like a judge to me anymore,” she said. “She’s always looking out for me.”

Once they had passed the awkward “soggy bottom” stage of their baking relationship, Nadiya revealed that the two actually became good friends.

“(She) doesn’t do social media or text or anything like that, but when we see each other, we just pick up where we left off.”

Aww, anyone for a spot of afternoon tea?

The full interview with Nadiya appears in the August issue of Good Housekeeping, on sale July 5.