The Great British Bake Off is the annual wholesome, family friendly, bakery competition show we can’t get enough of. Contestants from all over the UK with varying backgrounds come together to create some divine, (and others not so much), baked goods from Charlotte cakes and decorated biscuits, to multi-tier cake masterpieces. Each challenge determines the baking skills and technical knowledge of the contestants, and sadly, one is eliminated weekly until the grand finale.
In 2015, we saw the British TV show’s first ever hijabi contestant, Nadiya Hussain, who was a stay at home mum before she entered and won the Great British Bake Off. Following her win, she went on to establish an incredible career as a TV chef, author and television presenter. Her infectious personality and modest look enchanted millions of viewers and she garnered a fan following. The British-Bangladeshi baker was listed one of the 500 most influential people in the UK by Debrett’s, and also featured on BBC News' 100 Women list.
Five years on, and with a tough act to follow, the gleeful baking show has another hijabi contestant. Meet Sura. What we do know about her so far is that she has made quite the impression within this season’s first episode alone!
Sura is a 31-year-old pharmacy dispenser from West London, and has a black cat named Ghost, who she is seen walking on a leash. Quirky and loveable, Sura grew up surrounded by family who offered food as a means to show affection, love and respect. The many Middle Eastern and Asian influences in her heritage – including Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria and India – mean she enjoys experimenting with ingredients and flavors from all over the world.
Encapsulating audiences, she can be seen in the first episode of the season in a rather flustered state as she makes a bit of a boo boo. Sura was at the center of a very dramatic moment, when she accidentally knocked fellow baker's technical bake onto the floor seconds before judging! Despite the disaster fans stood firmly behind her, especially on social media. On Twitter, one person said, “Already a big fan of Sura. Queen. #GBBO,” whilst another tweeted after they saw a clip of her walking her cat, “Sura walking her cat on a lead... I will die for Sura from the Great British Bake Off tent.”
With such a fan following from the jump, we can’t wait to see Sura thrive in this competition and AboutHer.com are rooting for her too!
