Great British Bake-Off winner 2022. Syabira surprised and delighted the judges with her unusual flavour combinations and imaginative bakes. During the competition, she was awarded three consecutive Star Baker accolades and also a ‘Hollywood handshake’ during Halloween week. Paul described her six-layered red velvet cake as ‘perfect’ and ‘better than his’. Prue Leith said of her win: ‘She is creative… she practices like anything and she is imaginative; she just has the lot. She is a very skilful baker.’

Syabira was born and raised in Malacca in southern Malaysia. After studying for a BSc in Agriculture at Putra University, she worked as an Agronomist in a commercial breeding company. In 2013 she moved to the UK to pursue a PhD in Genetics and Genome biology at the University of Leicester.

Although Syabira has been cooking since she was 12, she only started baking in 2017, making a red velvet cake to remind her of friends she missed in Malaysia (this was the last cake they had enjoyed together before she moved to the UK). She soon discovered she had a talent for baking and began giving a Malaysian twist to British classics, devising recipes such as Chicken rendang Cornish pasties. Syabira’s experience as a researcher and her scientific knowledge helps her to understand the physics and chemistry of baking. She loves to experiment in the kitchen, working out the most exciting flavour combinations and compiling her discovery on essential tips and tricks in baking.