Ada Nicodemou (born 14 May 1977) is an Australian actress. She is best known for her long-standing role as Leah Patterson on Home and Away. She also played Anastasia Skouras in Police Rescue and Fiona Motson in Breakers.
Nicodemou has landed many roles since beginning her acting career in 1994. She played Katerina Ioannou in the television serial Heartbreak High.
Ada Nicodemou | |
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Ada Nicodemou is best known for her long-standing role as Leah Patterson on Home and Away.
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Quick Facts | |
Name: | Ada Nicodemou |
Born: | 14 May 1977 (age 47 years old) |
Place of birth: | Carlton, New South Wales |
Decent: | Greek Cypriot |
Parent(s): | Jenny Nicodemou |
Nationality: | Australia |
Education: | The Grange Public School |
Occupation: | Actress |
Years active: | 1993–date |
Notable work: | Heartbreak High Breakers Home and Away |
Spouse: | Chrys Xipolitas (m. 2007; sep. 2015) |
Partner: | Adam Rigby (2016–2023) James Stewart (2024–) |
Siblings: | Costa Nicodemou (brother) |
Early life
Ada Nicodemou was born on 14 May 1977 in Carlton, a suburb in southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She is of Greek Cypriot descent, and her family hails from Limassol. Her mother’s name is Jenny Nicodemou.
Her parents migrated to Australia and met there. She grew up in Minto, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, along with her brother, Costa Nicodemou. She would count back change to customers before going to school.
Education
Nicodemou studied at The Grange Public School. She learned to sing, act, and dance at the Johnny Young Talent School.
Career
Nicodemou started to act in 1994. She landed her first acting role in ABC1’s Heartbreak High as Katerina Ioannou. She was 16 when she appeared among other hopefuls to audition for the role. Ada first landed the role on a contract of 3 months, which was later extended.
The actress landed a role in the cast of Police Rescue as receptionist Anastasia “Ana” Skouras in 1995. She also starred as Fiona Motson in Network Ten’s Breakers in 1998.
Ada portrayed Dujour in the 1999 science fiction film The Matrix and appeared in the children’s series BeastMaster.
Nicodemou plays the role of Leah Patterson in the soap opera Home and Away on 22 March 2000. She entered season 3 of Dancing with the Stars with partner Aric Yegudkin in 2005. She won the reality dance competition.
Ada has been an ambassador of the PixiFoto Foundation since 2005. The foundation raises funds for a Childhood Blindness Prevention program in Africa.
Nicodemou started hosting Seven’s reality series Please Marry My Boy in 2012. She played a guest role in an episode of Drop Dead Weird in 2018. She was announced to compete in Seven’s Dancing with the Stars: All Stars with her partner Yegudkin in 2021.
In August 2022, Ada Nicodemou guest appeared on the Home and Away podcast Welcome To The Bay. She is also an ambassador for Save Our Sons, a charity supporting Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Aside from acting, Nicodemou is a writer and has written children’s books. She released her first book, Johnas The International Soccer Star, in June 2018. She will release another book, Mia Megastar – based on Nicodemou’s life and how she became an actress – in 2024.
Ada is an ambassador of the National Breast Cancer Foundation. She supports the Starlight Children’s Foundation and Make-A-Wish Foundation Australia.
Personal life
Ada Nicodemou and Chrys Xipolitas tied the knot in 2007. Three years into the union, the couple separated in 2010 but reconciled. She welcomed her son, Jonah, on 22 August 2012.
Nicodemou gave birth to her second child, Harrison, with Xipolitas in her eighth month of pregnancy. He was stillborn. Nicodemou and her then-husband Xipolitas ended their eight years of marriage in 2016.
Nicodemou started dating businessman and CEO Adam Rigby after they met at a Seven Network industry event in 2018. The couple parted ways at the end of 2023. She is dating her Home and Away co-star and on-screen lover James Stewart.
References
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- Karlie Rutherford. “Ada Nicodemou: ‘I’m smiling again’“. www.dailytelegraph.com.au.
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- Faye Couros. “How Ada Nicodemou’s close-knit family with son Johnas came together after a divorce and finding new love“. www.nowtolove.com.au. 27 July 2023.
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- Lauren Mills. “Inside Ada Nicodemou’s close bond with her entire family“. New Idea.
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- Savanna Young. “Ada Nicodemou’s ex Adam Rigby breaks his silence after their shock split and her new romance with Home and Away co-star James Stewart“. Daily Mail Australia.
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- Christine Estera. “Home and Away favourite Ada Nicodemou has reportedly split from her partner after eight years of dating“. www.news.com.au.