It’s the great Nadiya take-off
IT was only a matter of time before Bake Off winner and now firm TV chef favourite Nadiya Hussain ventured out of a studio kitchen.
There is good reason for this move into travel presenting, though.
British-born Nadiya, whose family is from Bangladesh, recently found out some of her ancestors were from Thailand, Cambodia and Nepal.
Now she wants to visit those countries, discovering more about the places where she now has a connection and, of course, taking her love of food and cooking with her.
“It’s not a package holiday. Girls like me don’t do stuff like this. I’m travelling further on my own than I’ve ever been before,” she said, preparing to leave her husband and three children.
How do they feel about her going away? One of her little boys said: “Mainly sad, tearful, upset and er, just more words that mean sad.” Thank goodness it’s only two weeks.
Tonight’s episode follows her first week, in Thailand and Cambodia, where she has a natural empathy and warmth with everyone she meets – she’s a natural.
At a Cambodian bakery school for young girls, she wins them over with a lesson in one of her favourite desserts.
In a grove of sugar palm trees, Nadiya sees a grandad skip up and down tall trees to collect the sap.
And if you thought I’m A Celebrity was bad, Nadiya faces a snack of crisps made from insects.
This is a charming travelogue – and my bet is it won’t be her last.