Samia Longchambon
{{Short description|English television actress}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Samia Ghadie, previously Samia Smith at Manchester Pride parade, 2011.jpg
| name = Samia Longchambon
| caption = Ghadie in 2011
| birth_name = Samia Maxine Ghadie
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1982|7|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = Eccles, Greater Manchester, England
| nationality = English
| employer = ITV
| television = {{Plainlist|
}}
| occupation = Actress
| years_active = 1992–present
| children = 2
| spouse = {{plainlist|
- {{marriage|Matt Smith|2005|2011|reason=divorced}}
- {{marriage|Sylvain Longchambon|2016}}
}}
}}
Samia Maxine Longchambon (née Ghadie, previously Smith; born 13 July 1982) is an English actress. She has played the role of Maria Connor in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street since 2000. She also appeared as a contestant on the eighth series of Dancing on Ice in 2013, and won the third series of Cooking with the Stars in 2023.
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.{{cite news |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20050522/ai_n14637232/ |title=Corrie's Samia Smith AND HER BIG NIGHT BEAUTY SECRETS |publisher=Findarticles.com |date=22 May 2005 |access-date=30 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920114011/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20050522/ai_n14637232/ |archive-date=20 September 2010 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} She has a brother named Tariq.
Career
Longchambon first appeared as an extra in Coronation Street at the age of eight and 10 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.
In 2000, she beat both Suzanne Shaw and Kimberley Walsh to get the role of Maria Sutherland in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street.{{cite web|url=http://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/samiasmith/ |title=Smith, Samia – Who's who on UK TV from hellomagazine.com, HELLO! |work=Hello! |date=8 October 2009 |access-date=30 April 2011}} 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. She won an episode of Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes impersonating Holly Valance.[https://web.archive.org/web/20180804231628/http://eleven.aol.co.uk/enhPhotoGalleryPollPopup.adp?popupgalleryid=2842&photoid=3&pause=1&country=uk Sexy Female Soap Stars – AOL Photo Gallery] She also made an appearance in Bo' Selecta! in 2004 as part of a Coronation Street sketch along with co-star Suranne Jones.
In January 2013, Longchambon was a competitor in the eighth series of Dancing on Ice, partnered with French professional ice skater Sylvain Longchambon.{{cite news | url = https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/dancing-on-ice-star-samia-ghadie-1523113 | title = Samia Ghadie on her Dancing on Ice preparations | first = Anna | last = Jury | work = Daily Mirror | date = 7 January 2013 }} However, she was concussed a few days into the pre-series training and eliminated in week eight of the competition, losing out in a skate-off to Luke Campbell.
In 2023, Longchambon won third series of Cooking with the Stars.{{cite web | url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a44765146/cooking-with-the-stars-2023-winner-samia/ | title=Cooking with the Stars crowns 2023 winner | website=Digital Spy | date=8 August 2023 }}
Personal life
She 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,{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/s3/coronation-street/news/a182658/corries-samia-smith-gives-birth.html |title=Corrie's Samia Smith gives birth – Coronation Street News – Showbiz |work=Digital Spy |date=19 October 2009 |access-date=30 April 2011}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/tv/2011/01/05/coronation-street-star-samia-smith-splits-from-husband-matthew-115875-22826776/ |title=Coronation Street star Samia Smith splits from husband Matthew |work=Daily Mirror |date=5 January 2011 |access-date=30 April 2011}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/s3/coronation-street/news/a349134/coronation-street-samia-smith-granted-divorce-uses-maiden-name.html |title='Coronation Street' Samia Smith granted divorce, uses maiden name - Coronation Street News - Showbiz |work=Digital Spy |date=4 November 2011 |access-date=19 November 2012}} In May 2015, she announced her engagement to French professional ice skater Sylvain Longchambon.{{cite news |url= http://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/samia-ghadie-engaged |title=Pregnant Samia Ghadie confirms she's engaged to Sylvain Longchambon |first= Zoe |last= Briggs |work= OK! Magazine |date= 25 May 2015 }} They married in August 2016.{{cite news |url= https://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/594531/samia-ghadie-exclusively-reveals-first-pictures-of-glamorous-wedding-to-sylvain-longchambon |title= Samia Ghadie exclusively reveals first pictures of glamorous wedding to Sylvain Longchambon |work= OK! |date= 29 August 2016 }} Their son, Yves Joseph Longchambon, was born on 24 September 2015.{{cite news |url= http://www.ok.co.uk/mum-and-baby/samia-ghadie-gives-birth-baby-boy-name |title= Samia Ghadie gives birth to beautiful and healthy baby boy |first= Zoe |last= Briggs |work= OK! Magazine |date= 28 September 2015 }}
Longchambon's father Joseph died of cancer on 14 April 2009.{{cite web|author=Beth Hardie |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/04/15/coronation-street-star-samia-smith-devastated-after-losing-father-115875-21280251/ |title=',mirror.co.uk', – "Coronation Street star Samia Smith devastated after losing father" – retrieved 16 April 2009 |work=Daily Mirror |date=14 April 2009|access-date=10 February 2013}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996
|Kimberley's friend | | |||
| 2000
|There's Only One Jimmy Grimble |Sara | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992
| Extra | Episode: 3482 | |||
| 1994
| Cracker | Rosie | Episode: "The Big Crunch: Part 1" | |||
| 1995
| Charlotte | 2 episodes | |||
| 1997–1998
| Jane | Main role; 13 episodes | |||
| 1997, 2000
| Maddy; Sian Horrocks | 2 episodes | |||
| 1999
| The Cops | Emma Hayes | Series 2: Episode 9 | |||
| rowspan="2" |2000
| Marianne | Episode: "Age Before Beauty" | |||
| Doctors
| Kelly Morris | Episode: "Game Over" | |||
| 2000–present
| rowspan="3" |Maria Connor | Series regular | |||
| rowspan="2" |2003
| TV Burp | Series 2: Episode 1 | |||
| Children in Need
| 1 episode | |||
| 2010
| Bookaboo | {{n/a|Unnamed}} | Episode: "A Visitor for Bear" | |||
| 2013
| Herself | Contestant (5th place) | |||
| 2018
| Herself | Participant | |||
| 2023
| Herself | Contestant; winner |
=Guest appearances=
Samia has appeared twice on the ITV game 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.{{cite web|author=Family Fortunes Corrie Christmas Special |url=http://www.corrieblog.tv/2006/12/family_fortunes.html |title=Corrieblog: Family Fortunes Corrie Christmas Special |publisher=Corrieblog.tv |date=1 December 2006 |access-date=30 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725050855/http://www.corrieblog.tv/2006/12/family_fortunes.html |archive-date=25 July 2011 |df=dmy }} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep4week39/chase-celebrity-special|title=The Chase: Celebrity Special|website=ITV|date=September 8, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805082722/https://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep4week39/chase-celebrity-special|archive-date=August 5, 2018}}
Awards and nominations
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0315466}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Longchambon, Samia}}
Category:English people of Lebanese descent
Category:English people of French descent
Category:English child actresses
Category:English film actresses
Category:English soap opera actresses
Category:English television actresses
Category:Actors from Eccles, Greater Manchester
Category:20th-century English actresses