'Nadiya Bakes' Is 'The Great British Baking Show's' Best Unofficial Spinoff
Netflix's latest reality show series from the U.K., Nadiya Bakes, is not technically a direct spinoff of The Great British Baking Show. Love Productions does not produce it; neither Paul Hollywood nor any other bakers from Season 3 (U.K. Series 6) show up. But from the opening shot of a butterfly in a garden alighting on a flower and soothing cheery music kicking off, the calls back to what was once the BBC's flagship reality series is evident. Produced by BBC Studios, the eight-part series is the spiritual successor to GBBO, with the knowledge that its job is to be all the soothing comfort one would expect from one of the biggest stars it's ever produced.
Not every reality show can make stars, no matter what it promises. The Kelly Clarksons, the One Directions, the Guy Fieris are few and far between, the success that provides the dream of everyone who competes. Out of all the winners of GBBO, Nadiya Hussain, who arrived on the show a shy underdog, seemed an unlikely breakout star. But she has eclipsed everyone, even Nancy Birtwhistle (winner of Season 1/U.K. Series 5), who at the time seemed the candidate to beat for GBBO household name recognition. Instead, it's Nadiya who went on to bake for Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday and become one of British TV's most recognizable faces in cookery.
But winning Bake Off seemed to have stirred her to new heights. When Nadiya said in the finale she believed now she could do anything; it turns out she meant it. Best of all, she's proved a sharp businesswoman with savvy acumen. Nadiya has, since her win, hosted shows ranging from The Chronicles of Nadiya, Nadiya's British Food Adventure, and Nadiya's Family Favourites, which came with a tie-in cookbook. She co-hosted The Big Family Cooking Showdown, which ran on Netflix. She's a regular contributor on The One Show and a significant presence in Good Food magazine. She's authored multiple cookbooks and even published midgrade fiction, including The Secret Lives of the Amir Sisters, billed as a British Muslim take on Little Women.
