Samia Longchambon has revealed she has cancelled her 40th birthday party after getting too stressed about hosting.
The Coronation Street actress, who plays Maria Connor in the long-running soap, has been open about her struggles with anxiety in the past and has now admitted it led to a toned-down celebration for her milestone birthday.
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Samia Longchambon cancels 40th
In an interview with OK! the star confessed party planning “became too stressful” so she decided to do something much smaller.
“I know with the job I do this sounds like I’m contradicting myself,” Samia said. “But I hate being the centre of attention and I feel too nervous to have a party.
“I thought at one point I might have a private dinner and hire out a room for my closest friends.
“But even then, I didn’t want to leave anyone out and upset them.
“The thought of it all became too stressful, so I had a really nice spa weekend with five of my close friends instead – Jane Danson [Leanne Battesrby] was there and my bridesmaids, and my friend Kim. It was really nice.”
Samia also revealed husband Sylvain is whisking her away for a surprise weekend to celebrate.
The actress has told in the past how she struggles with anxiety and even revealed lockdown for COVID-19 actually helped.
She told The Sun after Corrie shut down filming: “The biggest impact has been on my anxiety, which I have really, really struggled with for a long time.
“I’ve found it’s finally eased while being on lockdown. I’ve had social anxiety most of my life which has been very challenging.
“But I’ve found that now everyone has had to slow down and I don’t have that pressure to attend social events. The bustle of life has lifted.”
Samia’s coping methods
Samia regularly partakes in yoga to keep her anxiety under control.
She also revealed in her OK! interview that she studied for a diploma in cognitive behavourial therapy last year and has even had therapy herself.
“This year, I had some CBT myself,” she admitted.
“I was with a therapist for a few months because I was struggling. My anxiety comes and goes. I tell myself, ‘This too shall pass’ and live by that mantra now.
“Any sort of health issue is a trigger, or social anxiety when I’ve got a big event coming up.
“It must be exhausting for Sylvain because he’s constantly having to reassure me that everything is OK. He calms me down so much. He’s so patient. I love how chilled out he is and he’s always there for me.”
Read more: Complete Coronation Street cast list 2022 – meet them all here!
Maria’s Coronation Street struggles
As Samia battles her anxiety off-screen, a similar struggle has hit her alter ego, Maria.
After successfully running for local council, Maria has implemented a number of changes which haven’t gone down well with some of the council staff.
She has been subjected to a campaign of abuse online and even had her head put on a naked body in a deep-fake porn video.
On Wednesday night (July 13) Maria is confronted by Jimmy, who is seemingly behind the messages. She will also discover her phone is being tracked.
Although she calls the police, it seriously affects her mental health as she feels she can’t leave the flat any more.
When she does eventually venture outside, Jimmy accosts her and makes more threats, leaving her terrified.
Can anyone help her get over her fears?
Coronation Street usually airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV.
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