Samia Smith
Encyclopedia
Samia Maxine Ghadie is an English actress best known for playing Maria Connor in the ITV Soap Coronation Street
.
, Salford
, Greater Manchester to a Lebanese
father and an English mother who met while working in Abu Dhabi
, where she also lived as a child. She also has a brother named Tariq.
("The Big Crunch"). She then made appearances in Children's Ward
, Heartbeat, Doctors
, and the children's series Life Force. Her big break came in 2000, when she beat Suzanne Shaw
and Kimberley Walsh
to the role of Maria Sutherland
in Coronation Street
, where she has been at the centre of some of the show's biggest story lines in recent years.
Along with Jennie McAlpine
in December 2008, she participated in a celebrity edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
where the pair won £50,000 for charity.
Her film debut was a role of Sara in There's Only One Jimmy Grimble
.
Smith was placed 52nd in the 2003 FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World, and voted sexiest female by the readers of Inside Soap
magazine in 2005. In the same year she impersonated Holly Valance
in a celebrity version of Stars In Their Eyes
– which she won. She also appeared alongside her Coronation Street castmates in a celebrity version of the TV show Family Fortunes
in December 2006.
In 2008 she appeared in the fourth episode of Keith Lemon's Very Brilliant World Tour
, which was set in Egypt. In early September 2009 she appeared on Saturday and Sunday morning ITV kids' entertainment show Toonattik as a stand-in for regular Anna Williamson; her team lost 147–60 to Jamie Rickers and she was given the humiliating Toonattik pie in the face at the end of the show.
In Autumn 2009, Smith took a short break from her role as Maria on Coronation Street for maternity leave. She returned to the show and resumed filming in May 2010.
, Cheshire on 10 September 2005 after a seven month engagement. On 19 October 2009, she gave birth to a baby girl called Freya Her character temporarily left Coronation Street to go on maternity leave. She and her husband announced that they have separated by mutual agreement on 4 January 2011.
Smith is currently in a relationship with on-screen boyfriend Will Thorp
. They were first linked on 30 January 2011, a few weeks after she announced her split with husband Matthew. On 4 November, it was revealed that Samia has reverted back to her maiden name of Ghadie following her decree absolute which was granted the same day.
Smith's father, Joseph Ghadie, died of cancer
on 14 April 2009.
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
.
Early life
Samia Ghadie was born in EcclesEccles, Greater Manchester
Eccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
, Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
, Greater Manchester to a Lebanese
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
father and an English mother who met while working in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
, where she also lived as a child. She also has a brother named Tariq.
Career
She made her acting debut when she was 11, appearing in a single episode of CrackerCracker (UK TV series)
Cracker is a British crime drama series produced by Granada Television for ITV and created and principally written by Jimmy McGovern. The series is centered on a criminal psychologist , Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald, played by Robbie Coltrane. Set in Manchester, it consists of three series which were...
("The Big Crunch"). She then made appearances in Children's Ward
Children's Ward
Children's Ward is a British children's television drama series produced by Granada Television and broadcast on the ITV network as part of its Children's ITV strand on weekday afternoons...
, Heartbeat, Doctors
Doctors (BBC Soap Opera)
Doctors is a British daytime television soap opera, set in the fictional Midland town of Letherbridge, defined as being close to the City of Birmingham. It was created by Chris Murray; Mal Young drove its development, and Carson Black was the original producer. The first episode was broadcast on...
, and the children's series Life Force. Her big break came in 2000, when she beat Suzanne Shaw
Suzanne Shaw
Suzanne Shaw is an English actress, singer and television personality...
and Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Jane Walsh is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, television presenter and actress. She is best known for being a member of girl group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
to the role of Maria Sutherland
Maria Sutherland
Maria Jane Connor , is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, portrayed by actress Samia Smith. The character first appeared on-screen on 19 May 2000...
in Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, where she has been at the centre of some of the show's biggest story lines in recent years.
Along with Jennie McAlpine
Jennie McAlpine
Jennie Elizabeth McAlpine is a British television actress and comedienne. She is best known for her role as Fiz Stape in the well known British soap opera Coronation Street.-Early life:...
in December 2008, she participated in a celebrity edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
where the pair won £50,000 for charity.
Her film debut was a role of Sara in There's Only One Jimmy Grimble
There's Only One Jimmy Grimble
There's Only One Jimmy Grimble is a 2000 film set around Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. The film centred on one young boy's dream to play for Manchester City F.C.-Plot:...
.
Smith was placed 52nd in the 2003 FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World, and voted sexiest female by the readers of Inside Soap
Inside Soap
Inside Soap is a weekly UK magazine, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas shown in the United Kingdom....
magazine in 2005. In the same year she impersonated Holly Valance
Holly Valance
Holly Valance is an Australian actress, singer, and model, who has dual United Kingdom citizenship. Valance began her career as Felicity "Flick" Scully on the Australian soap opera Neighbours...
in a celebrity version of Stars In Their Eyes
Stars In Their Eyes
Stars in Their Eyes is a British television talent show that ran on Saturdays nights from 21 July 1990 until 23 December 2006 in which contestants impersonate showbiz stars...
– which she won. She also appeared alongside her Coronation Street castmates in a celebrity version of the TV show Family Fortunes
Family Fortunes
Family Fortunes is a British game show, based on the American game show Family Feud. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 6 December 2002 before being revived by the same channel in 2006 under the title of All Star Family Fortunes...
in December 2006.
In 2008 she appeared in the fourth episode of Keith Lemon's Very Brilliant World Tour
Keith Lemon's Very Brilliant World Tour
Keith Lemon's Very Brilliant World Tour was a travel-style comedy series hosted by Keith Lemon, a character portrayed by comedian Leigh Francis. The series was first announced during an appearance by Lemon on the Big Brother companion show Big Brother's Big Mouth in 2007...
, which was set in Egypt. In early September 2009 she appeared on Saturday and Sunday morning ITV kids' entertainment show Toonattik as a stand-in for regular Anna Williamson; her team lost 147–60 to Jamie Rickers and she was given the humiliating Toonattik pie in the face at the end of the show.
In Autumn 2009, Smith took a short break from her role as Maria on Coronation Street for maternity leave. She returned to the show and resumed filming in May 2010.
Personal life
Ghadie married Matthew Smith, a property developer, in St Philip's Church in Alderley EdgeAlderley Edge
Alderley Edge is a village and civil parish within the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4,409....
, Cheshire on 10 September 2005 after a seven month engagement. On 19 October 2009, she gave birth to a baby girl called Freya Her character temporarily left Coronation Street to go on maternity leave. She and her husband announced that they have separated by mutual agreement on 4 January 2011.
Smith is currently in a relationship with on-screen boyfriend Will Thorp
Will Thorp
Will Thorp is an English actor.-Early life:Living in Frome as a youngster, Thorp attended a Catholic college in near-by Trowbridge, Wiltshire. He studied at Bath College and joined Musical Youth Theatre Company at an early age. Thorp was also a member of the National Youth Theatre...
. They were first linked on 30 January 2011, a few weeks after she announced her split with husband Matthew. On 4 November, it was revealed that Samia has reverted back to her maiden name of Ghadie following her decree absolute which was granted the same day.
Smith's father, Joseph Ghadie, died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on 14 April 2009.
External links
- http://www.samiasmith.com