Getting married is supposed to mark one of the happiest days of a person's life, but for Nadiya Hussain it was a very different story. The Great British Bake Off winner has recalled her wedding to husband Abdal – confessing she cried all day.
Nadiya, 31, entered an arranged marriage with Abdal when she was 19 years old, after meeting him just once before. Although the couple now have three children and are more in love than ever, Luton-born Nadiya doesn't have fond memories of their union.
Nadiya Hussain and husband Abdal with their three children
Discussing their nuptials during her new BBC One show The Chronicles of Nadiya, she revealed: "I have to say my wedding day was one of the worst days of my life. One of the unspoken rules is as a bride you have to behave submissively and look downcast."
The two-part documentary sees Nadiya follow her roots back to Bangladesh while exploring local food. While there Nadiya attended the wedding of a distant cousin, which brought the sad memories flooding back.
She continued: "I was an emotional wreck and I cried through the whole thing. I didn't smile very much."
Nadiya was recently announced as a judge for Junior Bake Off
But thankfully the experience didn't affect her relationship with Abdal, and Nadiya recently opened up about their plans to get married all over again.
"We're married Islamically," she said. "But we've never done the proper vows here. So we're talking about making it all 'official'. It's a great excuse for a party."
Meanwhile it was recently confirmed Nadiya will return to the show that made her famous – as a judge on Junior Bake Off. Discussing her latest role, she explained: "I'm delighted to be joining Junior Bake Off as a judge. This time last year I was in the Bake Off tent and now I get to go back and help encourage the next generation to get their bake on."