Great British Sewing Bee: Cardiff surgeon wins

Asmaa Al-allak described the win as the top of all her achievements

A surgeon from Cardiff has been crowned winner of The Great British Sewing Bee.

Asmaa Al-allak lives in the Welsh capital but was born in Iraq where she found her love of sewing.

Growing up during the Iraq and Iran War, Asmaa watched and learned from her grandmother who was a seamstress.

After leaving war-torn Iraq aged 14, she and her family moved to Durham in England where her father was working as a scientist.

Aged 18, she moved to the Welsh capital to study medicine, and decided to make Cardiff her home with her husband and two children.

She is now a consultant breast surgeon.

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Among those congratulating her on the win were Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, who posted on Facebook: "Huge congratulations go to our own breast surgeon Asmaa Al-allak, who was announced as the winner of the Great British Sewing Bee last night. What a super star."

Asmaa specialises in making underwear, and is known to have made post-op bras for her breast cancer patients.

"I can't really put into words how I am feeling," she said after finding out she had won.

Asmaa Al-allak said she hopes she has made Wales proud

"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".

Asmaa said she feels a "sense of home and belonging" in Wales.

"I have always counted myself as adopted Welsh, my children were born in Wales and I have lived most of my life in Wales," she said.

"I really hope I have made them proud, because I am proud of Wales."

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