‘I stayed for weeks without eating,’ GWR chef, Hilda Baci reveals most dramatic thing she did for love

• Hilda Baci recalls going weeks without food to impress a childhood crush because she believed pretty girls should not eat.

• The Guinness World Record chef explains how she outgrew her belief that skipping meals was necessary to maintain beauty.

• Hilda Baci shares the qualities she considers green flags in a romantic relationship, highlighting communication and personal freedom.

Popular Nigerian chef and Guinness World Record holder, Hilda Baci, has revealed the most dramatic thing she has ever done for love.

The chef made the revelation at the premiere of Loving Itohan during an interview with BellaNaija, where she recalled how she went for weeks without food because of a childhood crush.

According to Hilda, she was so conscious of her appearance and what she believed made a girl attractive that she avoided eating to maintain a particular image for someone she fancied.

“I didn’t eat, and I realise now that I am older; it wasn’t love. But I was too shy to eat, so I went on for weeks without eating. But I was a child then, so don’t judge me. It wasn’t even a relationship; I had a crush.”

She explained that her decision came from a misguided belief that pretty girls should not eat, a mentality she has since outgrown.

“I had this idea that fine girls don’t eat. I’m wiser so I won’t do that now,” she stated.

The chef also shared what she considers a green flag in a romantic relationship, highlighting the importance of communication, clarity and personal freedom.

“I would say someone who communicates and knows what they want and allows me to be myself.”

Hilda Baci rose to international prominence in May 2023 after she embarked on a 100-hour cooking marathon in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.

Guinness World Records subsequently confirmed her achievement with an official time of 93 hours and 11 minutes, making her the record holder at the time.

In September 2025, she made history again after Guinness World Records recognised her for preparing the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice, weighing 8,780kg, alongside Gino Nigeria and other collaborators.

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