Nadia Sawalha facts for kids

Nadia Sawalha (born 18 November 1964) is an English actress, TV host, and YouTuber. She is famous for being one of the original hosts of the popular ITV talk show Loose Women. She was on the show from its start in 1999 until 2002 and returned in 2013.

Many people also know her for playing Annie Palmer in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 1997 to 1999. She also acted in the comedy show Second Thoughts. Over the years, she has appeared in many other shows like The Bill, Casualty, and Benidorm.

Nadia is also a talented cook. She won the TV competition Celebrity MasterChef in 2007. Since 2023, she has been making cooking videos with her sister Dina on YouTube.

Early Life and Family

Nadia Sawalha grew up in Croydon, a part of south London where she still lives. Her father, Nadim Sawalha, is a famous actor who was born in Jordan. Her mother, Roberta Lane, is English.

Nadia has a sister named Julia Sawalha, who is also a well-known actress. The two sisters and their father once starred in a play together called Dearest Daddy... Darling Daughter in 1997.

Acting and TV Career

From Theatre to Television

After studying at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Nadia began her career as a stage actress. She later moved into television. Her big break came when she was cast as the smart businesswoman Annie Palmer in the popular soap opera EastEnders. She played this role from 1997 to 1999.

She also acted in other TV shows like Casualty and the police drama The Bill. Nadia has appeared in several movies, including Clockwise (1986) and the BBC drama Station Jim (2001).

Hosting Popular Shows

From 1999 to 2002, Nadia was one of the first hosts on the talk show Loose Women. After a break, she came back to the show in 2013 and has been a regular host ever since.

Nadia has hosted many other TV shows for the BBC. These include Wanted Down Under, which helps British families see what it's like to move to Australia or New Zealand. She also presented The One Show with Adrian Chiles for a time.

After winning Celebrity MasterChef, Nadia was chosen to co-host the children's version of the show, Junior Masterchef. She has also hosted cooking shows like Nadia's Family Feasts and Saturday Cookbook.

In 2011, she competed on the show Dancing on Ice. In 2015, she was a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother.

YouTube Channel

Nadia is also very active on YouTube. She first started a channel with her Loose Women co-host Kaye Adams. They made vlogs, cooking videos, and reviewed movies and TV shows.

Later, in 2014, she launched a family channel called The Sawalha-Adderleys with her husband, Mark Adderley. Her sister Dina and Mark's mother Diane also appear in the videos. The channel started with movie reviews but now includes daily vlogs, cooking, and chats about family life.

The channel has become very popular. In 2020, it reached 100,000 subscribers and received a "silver play button" award from YouTube.

Personal Life

Nadia has been open about her health. She has a skin condition called psoriasis and has also talked about having tinnitus, which causes a ringing sound in the ears. In 2017, she shared that she was losing her hair because of a condition called the perimenopause.

In 2022, at the age of 58, Nadia announced on Loose Women that she had been diagnosed with ADHD.

Her first marriage to Justin Mildwater ended sadly when he passed away in 1997. On June 6, 2002, she married her second husband, Mark Adderley. They have two children together. Nadia and Mark often talk about the ups and downs of marriage on their podcast, How to Stay Married (So Far).

Nadia has also used her public platform to speak up for people in Palestine.

Selected Work

Nadia has had a long and varied career in television, film, and theatre. Here are some of her most well-known roles.

Television

• Second Thoughts (1992–1994) as Gina
• EastEnders (1997–1999) as Annie Palmer
• Loose Women (1999–2002, 2013–present) as a host
• Celebrity MasterChef (2007) as a contestant and winner
• Wanted Down Under (2007–2009) as a presenter
• Junior MasterChef (2010–2012) as a presenter and judge
• Dancing on Ice (2011) as a contestant
• Benidorm (2015) as Melanie
• Celebrity Big Brother (2015) as a contestant

Books

• Stuffed Vine Leaves Saved My Life (2010)
• Greedy Girl's Diet (2013)
• Fabulous Family Food (2014)
• Nadia and Kaye: Disaster Chef (2018) – with Kaye Adams

See also

• List of Celebrity Big Brother (British TV series) housemates
• List of Dancing on Ice contestants