tv interview
Samia with her Corrie co-star Dean Fagan
‘Maria’s coming back with a gay husband!’ got baby brain. I can’t remember my own name half the time!
Tell us about Maria and Pablo.
New mum Samia Ghadie returns to the Corrie cobbles
She met him at the hair salon she was working at in Cyprus and they struck up a friendship. Maria’s married him so he can get a visa, which is illegal.
How does her boyfriend Luke feel? Luke’s fuming. He doesn’t realise Pablo is gay, so he thinks Maria’s cheating on him. Pablo is a bit puzzled by it all. I think she knew Luke wouldn’t be too happy and I think alcohol played a part – she was drunk when they got married. She wasn’t thinking straight.
S
amia Ghadie has played Weatherfield hairdresser Maria Connor for almost 16 years and, in that time, she’s suffered her fair share of screen heartache. But for the actress, real life couldn’t be rosier. She’s engaged to French ice skater Sylvain Longchambon, 35, who she met on Dancing On Ice, and she’s mum to their son Yves, seven months, and her daughter Freya, six (with her ex husband). As Samia’s maternity leave ends, Maria is returning from Cyprus with a secret – she’s married a gay man called Pablo (Shai Matheson) to help him get a visa. But she’s shocked when he turns up on her doorstep, as is her love interest Luke Britton (Dean Fagan). Here Samia, 33, tells Bella what’s coming up for her in Coronation Street and real life…
Bella
How does she win Luke round? She gets dressed up as a lion. I think I must have upset one of the writers! It’s basically just an excuse to get me in a lion outfit. Maria is saying: ‘I’ve made you look stupid coming back with a gay husband, so I’m making myself look stupid for you.’ I looked like an idiot.
How was it returning to the Street? I was nervous, but so excited on my first day. I bounded in, expecting everyone to be as excited as me, but not everyone’s had six months off, so they were all like: ‘Morning, are you all right?!’
Did you worry at all about getting back into character? Maria is like a comfy pair of old slippers now, so I didn’t worry. I was worried a bit about learning my lines because I’ve still
Are you good with hair in real life? I do my own and my daughter’s. I always get tweets by hairdressers saying I’m rubbish. I nearly cut Kate Ford’s fringe off once. I’m not great at multitasking. I was doing a scene and I grabbed her fringe and I had some scissors — they really shouldn’t give us proper scissors to use! And I nearly took
Barbara Knox’s head off because we have old-fashioned dryers in the salon and they have a visor bit at the front. I forgot to lift it up on Barbara and just pulled it back on her head. She’s the wrong person to behead.
How’s life as a mum? It’s brilliant. Between us, Sylvain and I are working it all out. We have an amazing childminder, who’s lovely. Sylvain is a personal trainer and he’s really busy, so between us we never have set hours. I get mummy guilt. I think all women do if you’re juggling a career and being a mum. Sylvain is a very hands-on dad. It’s always his job to take Yves to bed, and when we’re out, he won’t let me push the pram.
How is Freya with Yves? Brilliant, she just adores him. She’s like a little mummy with him. She calls him Pudding. I hear her say to him: ‘Don’t worry Pudding, Frey Frey’s here.’
You look great. Was it hard to lose the baby weight? Yes, I suppose so. I haven’t put any pressure on myself, other than wanting to get
into Maria’s costumes. Apart from that I’m not that body-conscious. And at the moment I’ve got more pressing things to worry about than what I look like!
Sylvain and Samia with Yves and (right) Freya with her baby brother
You tweeted that you were working out with Sylvain… Yes, I had a day off and he was like: ‘You can come to the gym then.’ I like that he trains me because he knows when I’ve had enough. I didn’t do that long – I was watching Loose Women in-between sit-ups!
Does he tell you off if you have too many biscuits? No, not at all – he buys me the biscuits. He’s very chilled. We’re getting married this year. I’ve told him I want my tummy back to what is was, and a bit of a bum, so that’s what we’re working on.
How are the wedding plans? They’re all right. We’re not the most organised couple
but we’ve got a good wedding planner. She’s not stressed, so I’m not stressed. It will be just close friends and family – I don’t want a big meringue dress.
Will Yves speak French and English? Yes, Sylvain speaks to him in French now. Freya and me need to catch up. My French is okay – I can have a conversation with his family without my heartbeat rising if he goes out of the room.
What does Freya think of you on TV? She’s really embarrassing. If we’re in Tesco’s she starts calling me Maria and stuff, saying: ‘You’re on Corrie, Mummy.’ It’s normally the kids who are embarrassed by their parents, but she embarrasses me. Shush Freya, enough! Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV.
l
bellamagazine.co.uk Bella
Words: Lynn Carratt. Photos: Rex, Xposure
w e i v r e t n i v t
‘Maria’s coming back with a gay husband!’ got baby brain. I can’t remember my own name half the time!
Tell us about Maria and Pablo.
New mum Samia Ghadie returns to the Corrie cobbles
She met him at the hair salon she was working at in Cyprus and they struck up a friendship. Maria’s married him so he can get a visa, which is illegal.
How does her boyfriend Luke feel? Luke’s fuming. He doesn’t realise Pablo is gay, so he thinks Maria’s cheating on him. Pablo is a bit puzzled by it all. I think she knew Luke wouldn’t be too happy and I think alcohol played a part – she was drunk when they got married. She wasn’t thinking straight.
S
amia Ghadie has played Weatherfield hairdresser Maria Connor for almost 16 years and, in that time, she’s suffered her fair share of screen heartache. But for the actress, real life couldn’t be rosier. She’s engaged to French ice skater Sylvain Longchambon, 35, who she met on Dancing On Ice, and she’s mum to their son Yves, seven months, and her daughter Freya, six (with her ex husband). As Samia’s maternity leave ends, Maria is returning from Cyprus with a secret – she’s married a gay man called Pablo (Shai Matheson) to help him get a visa. But she’s shocked when he turns up on her doorstep, as is her love interest Luke Britton (Dean Fagan). Here Samia, 33, tells Bella what’s coming up for her in Coronation Street and real life…
Bella
How does she win Luke round? She gets dressed up as a lion. I think I must have upset one of the writers! It’s basically just an excuse to get me in a lion outfit. Maria is saying: ‘I’ve made you look stupid coming back with a gay husband, so I’m making myself look stupid for you.’ I looked like an idiot.
How was it returning to the Street? I was nervous, but so excited on my first day. I bounded in, expecting everyone to be as excited as me, but not everyone’s had six months off, so they were all like: ‘Morning, are you all right?!’
Did you worry at all about getting back into character? Maria is like a comfy pair of old slippers now, so I didn’t worry. I was worried a bit about learning my lines because I’ve still
Are you good with hair in real life? I do my own and my daughter’s. I always get tweets by hairdressers saying I’m rubbish. I nearly cut Kate Ford’s fringe off once. I’m not great at multitasking. I was doing a scene and I grabbed her fringe and I had some scissors — they really shouldn’t give us proper scissors to use! And I nearly took
Barbara Knox’s head off because we have old-fashioned dryers in the salon and they have a visor bit at the front. I forgot to lift it up on Barbara and just pulled it back on her head. She’s the wrong person to behead.
How’s life as a mum? It’s brilliant. Between us, Sylvain and I are working it all out. We have an amazing childminder, who’s lovely. Sylvain is a personal trainer and he’s really busy, so between us we never have set hours. I get mummy guilt. I think all women do if you’re juggling a career and being a mum. Sylvain is a very hands-on dad. It’s always his job to take Yves to bed, and when we’re out, he won’t let me push the pram.
How is Freya with Yves? Brilliant, she just adores him. She’s like a little mummy with him. She calls him Pudding. I hear her say to him: ‘Don’t worry Pudding, Frey Frey’s here.’
You look great. Was it hard to lose the baby weight? Yes, I suppose so. I haven’t put any pressure on myself, other than wanting to get
into Maria’s costumes. Apart from that I’m not that body-conscious. And at the moment I’ve got more pressing things to worry about than what I look like!
Sylvain and Samia with Yves and (right) Freya with her baby brother
You tweeted that you were working out with Sylvain… Yes, I had a day off and he was like: ‘You can come to the gym then.’ I like that he trains me because he knows when I’ve had enough. I didn’t do that long – I was watching Loose Women in-between sit-ups!
Does he tell you off if you have too many biscuits? No, not at all – he buys me the biscuits. He’s very chilled. We’re getting married this year. I’ve told him I want my tummy back to what is was, and a bit of a bum, so that’s what we’re working on.
How are the wedding plans? They’re all right. We’re not the most organised couple
but we’ve got a good wedding planner. She’s not stressed, so I’m not stressed. It will be just close friends and family – I don’t want a big meringue dress.
Will Yves speak French and English? Yes, Sylvain speaks to him in French now. Freya and me need to catch up. My French is okay – I can have a conversation with his family without my heartbeat rising if he goes out of the room.
What does Freya think of you on TV? She’s really embarrassing. If we’re in Tesco’s she starts calling me Maria and stuff, saying: ‘You’re on Corrie, Mummy.’ It’s normally the kids who are embarrassed by their parents, but she embarrasses me. Shush Freya, enough! Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV.
l
bellamagazine.co.uk Bella
Words: Lynn Carratt. Photos: Rex, Xposure
w e i v r e t n i v t
