'My MARRIAGE is definitely NOT OVER!'

As she approaches her 10th year on television, Nadiya Hussain opens up about racist threats to her life, her untapped dream of becoming a teacher and why rumours of marital demise are rubbish

- GEMMA CALVERT

nadiya Hussain cover shoots bring sunshine – meteorologically and metaphorically. It’s a scorching June day in north London when we gather to celebrate the publication of her ninth cookbook, Cook Once, Eat Twice.

As the title suggests, she’s helping the nation save time and pennies through meal-stretching recipes that savvily spin leftovers.

And sweetly, it was the celebrity cook and author’s eldest son Musa’s plans to leave the family home in Milton Keynes to go off to university that inspired it.

‘As soon as he started to talk about uni, I thought, “This will be the book that he’ll want to take with him to help him be more mindful of how he cooks, how he eats, how he saves, how to be frugal and how to use up leftovers – how to be smart in the kitchen,”’ explains Nadiya, 39, adding that the previous night her trusty sardine arrabbiata sparked an outpouring of gratitude from her firstborn.

‘He gave me a massive kiss, a massive hug, then said, “I’m going to miss you at uni.” But he’s not going to miss me at all because I’m going to fully load his freezer up – and he knows it!’

Mum first, TV chef second, Nadiya is a rare breed of superstar who doesn’t court the fringe benefits of being – as she’s previously been hailed – The Great British Bake Off ’s most successful-ever contestant. Since winning the 2015 series she’s presented a host of her own BBC2 cooking series (another will coincide with her latest book release), been awarded an MBE, built an 884,000 Instagram following, baked for Queen Elizabeth II and become brand-partnership gold because of her true talent, genuine warmth and brilliant realness.

Off duty, Nadiya is something of a showbiz Houdini, who shuns the limelight in favour of a quiet home life with her husband Abdal and their children (they also share Dawud, 17, and Maryam, 14).