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Samia Smith

Samia Longchambon
Samia Ghadie, previously Samia Smith at Manchester Pide parade,2011.jpg
Ghadie on the Coronation Street float at Manchester Pride in 2011
Born Samia Maxine Ghadie
(1982-07-13) 13 July 1982 (age 34)
Eccles, Greater Manchester, England
Nationality English
Occupation Actress
Years active 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.

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.

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.


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