Muslim Surgeon Wins BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee Competition

Photo credits: BBC

Asmaa Al- Allak, a consultant breast surgeon has been crowned the winner of one of BBC’s leading competition shows. 

Residing in Cardiff, Asma beat fellow finalists Mia and Tony R to take on the coveted prize and title of UK’s best amateur sewer for 2023. 

Considered one of the leading ‘Great British’ competitions, the show has successfully run for nine series now. Each season begins with 12 amateur sewing artists who eventually come down to just three by the 10th episode, with one winning the finale with their most creative dress creation. 

This year, the contestants had to create a Victoriana-style evening dress and transform female party wear into a glamorous men’s red carpet outfit before creating a Met Gala-esque “two-in-one dress” for a friend or family member as the grand finale. 

Asmaa wowed the judges with her sewing skills and her final creation, Esme Young, one of the Sewing Bee judges, said, “Asmaa is a really talented sewer, very precise, very neat and in this last challenge she really pulled it off.” 

Having moved to England from war-torn Iran at the age of 14, Asmaa showed a keen interest in studying medicine, however, she continually pursued her passion for sewing, having learned from her grandmother who was a seamstress. She is known for having made post-op bras for her breast cancer patients. 

Speaking on her new feat, she said, “I can't really put into words how I am feeling. This is not real, this can't be me, it feels amazing. Amongst everything I have done in the last 45 years of my life - this has to top it all - not the medical degree, not anything else, this is it". 

The 30 dresses she made during her appearance on the show can be viewed here.

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