Nadiya Hussain & Big Zuu on The Power of Representation

We Need To Talk with Paul C. Brunson

FlightStory

Relationships, Society & Culture, Leisure

4.7 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 26 February 2026

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Big Zuu & Nadiya Hussain join us to discuss what it means to live as Muslims in the UK today. They share their personal experiences navigating public life, confronting stereotypes, and the power of representation in breaking down barriers. This is an honest and thought-provoking conversation on how media, faith and identity shape perceptions of Islam in modern British society. We're Talking the Power of Representation (00:00) Intro (00:32) Diversity in the TV Industry in Front and Behind the Camera (02:54) Why Big Zuu Started His Own Production Company (05:54) Big Zuu Reflects on the Current Climate for Muslims in the UK (07:48) Big Zuu Explains the Importance of Representation in Media (10:46) Nadiya Describes How She Doesn’t Agree With the Traditional Role for Women in Islam (15:32) Nadiya’s Relationship With Her Faith (18:35) The ‘Suffocating’ Environment for Muslims Living in the UK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to We're Talking. We're joined by Big Zoo and Nadia Hussein to talk about what it means to live as Muslim in the UK today, in the public years, all seven years that I've been here.
0:33.7	But then previously in the U.S., and there's a big difference between the television industry in the US and the UK.
0:40.3	Big difference.
0:42.3	There's, we're not where we need to be in the US, but we're much more diverse than we are.
0:47.3	Yeah, naturally, I mean that would make sense.
0:50.3	See, I come from music, which is way more diverse as an industry.
0:53.3	Yeah. Because naturally, which is way more diverse as an industry. Yeah.
0:54.5	Because naturally, music is open, anyone.
0:59.0	Right.
1:00.0	So, yeah, your label execs might be of the same, like the same as Tully, but people in positions
1:06.0	of power of music are diverse.
1:09.0	There's women, there's men, there's people from different races, different genders.
1:14.0	Telly is completely different.
1:16.1	Yes. I never thought would ever be a thing. I never thought big nasty, the Grime MC would be the person that opened the doors for people like me to get into television. Because nasty open the door for me, that means I can go open the door for other people. Yeah, exactly. Tony Morrison, one of my favorite writers of all time, right? She talks about how free, what freedom is is helping someone else become free. Yeah. Right?
1:44.4	And it seems like that that's what's happening
1:45.9	because I heard you say that you formed a production company. Yeah, yeah, I got a production company. So out of mad, what's the focus? What's your goal with the production company? The main thing for, we're called Big Productions, which is the easiest name of all time, which is hilarious. I could have been a bit more creative. B productions, I built it one type ownership
2:01.9	because I felt like when I was making my show which is hilarious. I could have been a bit more creative. B productions, I built it one type of ownership.
2:02.6	Because I felt like when I was making my show Big Eats,
2:05.6	I was coming up with all the ideas.
2:08.6	Not all the ideas in terms of like I,
2:10.6	fippin' created a show, but I came up a lot of it.
2:12.6	It's based off me.
	...

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