I was bullied at school. Bruises fade but words are more painful...they have a lasting effect
Shock storyline draws in parents and youngsters
husband, French Dancing on Ice professional Sylvain Longchambon, their son Yves, eight, and Freya, from her marriage to property developer Matt Smith, which ended in 2011.
The couple met skating together on 2013’s Dancing On Ice and married in 2016, a year after having Yves.
Samia grew up in Eccles, Greater Manchester, with her dad Joseph, a French Lebanese shop owner, and her mum Patsy, an actress and singer.
She has played hairdresser Maria since 2000, joining the show when she was just 17. But she actually began her cobbles career several years earlier, appearing as an extra at the age of eight, having begun drama classes when she was six.
After appearing on Cracker at 11, she landed a regular role on the CITV series Children’s Ward and also a part alongside Ray Winstone and Robert Carlyle in the 2000 film There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble.
She has since spent more than two decades on the cobbles. The stability of working in the same place every day suits her down to the ground, especially for her mental health.
“I’m not spontaneous!” she laughs. “I’ve lived with anxiety my entire life because I hate uncertainty.
“It’s been 24 years now at Coronation
Street, so I feel at this point if I say: ‘Oh yes, I’d like to go off and do this or that,’ I’d be lying to myself !
“The reason I’ve stayed so long is because it’s such a lovely job. It’s a job where I get to spend time at home with the kids and act all year.
“And there are busy periods where I’ve got a storyline to get my teeth into, which can really make a difference to people’s lives. That’s all I can ask for, really.”
Samia has taken short breaks from the show to do other things. She won the third series of Cooking with the Stars last year and shone on the ice 11 years ago, while performing under her maiden name Samia Ghadie.
“Cooking with the Stars was incredible, because I’ve always loved cooking, but if something took my fancy I might be interested,” she muses. “A few years ago, I would have said: ‘Oh, I’d never do I’m a Celebrity…’ but now I think ‘never, say never.’ “Life’s short and if I’m in the right headspace and the right opportunity comes my way at the right time, maybe I would.” Samia credits daily yoga with helping control her anxiety.
She adds: “I also do a couple of runs every week. I started doing it just for health benefits, but actually I love it. We’ve got a treadmill in the garage and a TV, so I put on a boxset and run for half an hour and clear my head.”
And with Samia a child star from a very early age, there are signs both her kids might follow in her footsteps.
“They’re both quite dramatic, I’m not going to lie!” she laughs.
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