Samia Ghadie

Samia Longchambon
Ghadie on the Coronation Street float at Manchester Pride in 2011
Born Samia Maxine Ghadie
(1982-07-13) 13 July 1982
Eccles, Greater Manchester, England
Nationality English
Occupation Actress
Years active 1988, 1993–present
Employer ITV
Television Coronation Street (2000–present)
Dancing on Ice (2013)
Spouse(s) Matt Smith (m. 2005; div. 2011)
Sylvain Longchambon (m. 2016)
Children 2
Parent(s) Patsy Ghadie and Joseph Ghadie (d. 2009)

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.

Early life

Samia Ghadie was born in Eccles, Greater Manchester to Joseph, a French-Lebanese shop owner and Patsy, an English actress whom he met whilst working in Abu Dhabi. Samia lived there for a period as a child.[1][2] She has a brother named Tariq.

Career

Samia first appeared as an extra in Coronation Street at the age of eight and 12 years later she became a regular on the show. She made her first credited TV appearance when she was 11 years old, appearing in an episode of Cracker ("The Big Crunch"). She also made appearances in Children's Ward, Heartbeat, Doctors, There's Only One Jimmy Grimble (feature film) and the children's series Life Force.

Samia's big break came in 2000, when she beat both Suzanne Shaw and Kimberley Walsh to get 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 storylines.[3] In Autumn 2009, she took a short break from her role as Maria in Coronation Street on maternity leave and resumed her role in the show in May 2010.

Samia won an episode of Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes impersonating Holly Valance.[4] 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, Samia was a competitor in the eighth series of Dancing on Ice, partnered with French professional ice skater Sylvain Longchambon.[5] However, she was concussed a few days into the pre-series training and[5] unfortunately eliminated in week eight of the competition, losing out in a skate-off to Luke Campbell.

Guest appearances

Samia has appeared twice on the ITV show All Star Family Fortunes. Her first appearance was in a Christmas special in December 2006, when she appeared as part of the Battersby-Brown family.[6] Her second appearance was in May 2012, when she appeared with her own family.

In 2008, by then known as Samia Smith, she appeared as a guest on Keith Lemon's Very Brilliant World Tour when the show visited Egypt.

On 20 September 2014, Samia appeared as a contestant on the primetime game show The Chase: Celebrity Special.[7]

Awards and nominations

Samia was 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

Samia married Matt Smith, a property developer, at 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,[8] following which she left Coronation Street temporarily on maternity leave. On 4 January 2011, she and her husband announced that they had separated by mutual agreement.[9] On 4 November 2011, she revealed that she had reverted to her maiden surname of Ghadie following a decree absolute which had been granted the same day.[10][11][12] In May 2015, she announced her engagement to French professional ice skater Sylvain Longchambon.[13] They married in August 2016.[14] Their son, Yves Joseph Longchambon, was born on 24 September 2015.[15]

Samia's father Joseph died of cancer on 14 April 2009.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "Corrie's Samia Smith AND HER BIG NIGHT BEAUTY SECRETS". Findarticles.com. 22 May 2005. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  2. ↑ "Coronation Street star Samia Smith takes a pregnant pause in stunning Barbados". Daily Mail. London. 20 September 2009.
  3. ↑ Home. "Smith, Samia – Who's who on UK TV from hellomagazine.com, HELLO!". Hello!. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  4. ↑ Sexy Female Soap Stars – AOL Photo Gallery
  5. 1 2 Jury, Anna (7 January 2013). "Samia Ghadie on her Dancing on Ice preparations". Daily Mirror.
  6. ↑ Family Fortunes Corrie Christmas Special (1 December 2006). "Corrieblog: Family Fortunes Corrie Christmas Special". Corrieblog.tv. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  7. ↑
  8. ↑ "Corrie's Samia Smith gives birth – Coronation Street News – Showbiz". Digital Spy. 19 October 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  9. ↑ "Coronation Street star Samia Smith splits from husband Matthew". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  10. ↑ "'Coronation Street' Samia Smith granted divorce, uses maiden name - Coronation Street News - Showbiz". Digital Spy. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  11. ↑ Moriarty, Richard. "Corrie's Samia Smith divorces". The Sun. London.
  12. ↑ "Samia Smith steps out with Corrie 'lover' Will Thorp... as her estranged husband says 'I love my wife'". Daily Mail. London. 31 January 2011.
  13. ↑ Briggs, Zoe (25 May 2015). "Pregnant Samia Ghadie confirms she's engaged to Sylvain Longchambon". OK! Magazine.
  14. ↑ "Samia Ghadie exclusively reveals first pictures of glamorous wedding to Sylvain Longchambon". OK!. 29 August 2016.
  15. ↑ Briggs, Zoe (28 September 2015). "Samia Ghadie gives birth to beautiful and healthy baby boy". OK! Magazine.
  16. ↑ Beth Hardie (14 April 2009). "',mirror.co.uk', – "Coronation Street star Samia Smith devastated after losing father" – retrieved 16 April 2009". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
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