Nationality English Employer ITV Children Freya Smith Years active 1993–present Height 1.55 m | Occupation Actress Role Actress Ethnicity Lebanese and English Name Samia Ghadie | |
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Full Name Samia Maxine Ghadie Born 13 July 1982 (age 41) ( 1982-07-13 ) Eccles, Greater Manchester, England Television Coronation Street (2000–present)
Dancing On Ice (2013) Spouse Matthew Smith (m. 2005–2011) Parents Patsy Ghadie, Joseph Ghadie Movies and TV shows Coronation Street, Dancing on Ice, There's Only One Jimmy Gri Similar People Sylvain Longchambon, Tina O'Brien, Alison King, Catherine Tyldesley, Kate Ford Profiles | ||
Lorraine Kelly & Samia Ghadie
Samia Maxine Longchambon (née Ghadie, previously Smith; born 13 July 1982) is a British actress. She is best known for playing the role of Maria Connor in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street since 2000.
Contents
- Lorraine Kelly Samia Ghadie
- Early life
- Career
- Dancing on Ice
- Awards and nominations
- Personal life
- Guest appearances
- References
Early life
Ghadie was born in Eccles, Greater Manchester to Joseph, a French-Lebanese shop owner, and Patsy, an English actress who he met while working in Abu Dhabi, where she also lived as a child. She has a brother named Tariq.
Career
Ghadie made her acting debut when she was 11 years old, appearing in an episode of Cracker ("The Big Crunch"). She then made appearances in Children's Ward, Heartbeat, Doctors, There's Only One Jimmy Grimble (Feature Film) and the children's series Life Force.
Ghadie's big break came in 2000, when she beat both Suzanne Shaw and Kimberley Walsh to obtain the role of Maria Sutherland in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, where she has been at the centre of some of the show's biggest and central story lines. In Autumn 2009, Ghadie took a short break from her role as Maria on Coronation Street due to her maternity leave, however she resumed filming the show in May 2010.
Ghadie won an episode of Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes impersonating Holly Valance. She also made an appearance in Bo' Selecta! in 2004 as part of a Coronation Street sketch along with co-star Suranne Jones.
Dancing on Ice
In January 2013, Ghadie was a competitor in the eighth series of Dancing on Ice, partnered with French professional ice skater Sylvain Longchambon. She sustained a concussion a few days into the pre-series training. Ghadie was eliminated in Week 8 of the competition losing out in a skate off to Luke Campbell.
Awards and nominations
Ghadie placed 53rd in the 2003 FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World, and voted sexiest female by the readers of Inside Soap magazine in 2005.
Personal life
Ghadie married Matt Smith, a property developer, in St Philip's Church in Alderley Edge, Cheshire on 10 September 2005 after a seven-month engagement. On 19 October 2009, she gave birth to a baby girl, Freya Ghadie temporarily left Coronation Street to go on maternity leave. On 4 January 2011, Ghadie and her husband announced that they have separated by mutual agreement and decision. On 4 November 2011, it was revealed that she had reverted to her maiden name of Ghadie following her decree absolute which was granted the same day. In May 2015, she announced her engagement to French professional ice skater Sylvain Longchambon. They married in August 2016. Their son, Yves Joseph Longchambon, was born on 24 September 2015.
Ghadie's father, Joseph, died of cancer on 14 April 2009.
Guest appearances
Ghadie has appeared twice on the ITV show All Star Family Fortunes. Her first appearance was on a Christmas special on 23 December 2006, where she appeared as part of the Battersby-Brown family. Her second appearance was on 13 May 2012, when she appeared with her own family.
In 2008, Ghadie was a guest on Keith Lemon's Very Brilliant World Tour.
On 20 September 2014, Ghadie appeared on the primetime game show The Chase: Celebrity Special. - Contestant