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Ada Nicodemou (born 14 May 1977) is a Greek Cypriot-born Australian actress. She began her acting career in 1994 playing Katerina Ioannou in Heartbreak High. She also starred in Police Rescue and Breakers. In 2000, Nicodemou began playing Leah Patterson-Baker in the soap opera Home and Away. She won the 3rd season of Dancing with the Stars and hosted reality series Please Marry My Boy in 2012.

Ada Nicodemou

Early life

Nicodemou was born on 14 May 1977.[1] Nicodemou's parents were both migrants, who met in Australia.[2] Her Greek Cypriot family come from Limassol.[3] Nicodemou grew up in Minto along with her younger brother.[2] Nicodemou attended The Grange Public School, and the Johnny Young Talent School, where she learned to sing, dance and act.[2]

Career

Nicodemou began her acting career in 1994 when she was cast as Katerina Ioannou in ABC1's Heartbreak High.[4] Nicodemou was sixteen when she successfully auditioned for the role. She was originally contracted to play the part for 12 weeks, but this was later extended.[5]

Nicodemou also had starring roles on Police Rescue, and Network Ten's Breakers.[6] In 1999, she played Dujour in the science fiction film The Matrix. The following year, she appeared in an episode of children's series BeastMaster.[6]

Nicodemou has played the role of Leah Patterson-Baker in the television soap opera Home and Away since 22 March 2000.[6] Nicodemou originally auditioned for the role of Sarah Thompson in 1992, but Laura Vasquez was cast.[7] She was later approached by the show's producers about the role of Leah. She was not asked to audition and was offered a six-month contract, which was soon extended.[6] As of 2018, Nicodemou is one of the show's longest serving actors.[8]

In 2005, Nicodemou competed on and won the 3rd season of Dancing with the Stars with partner Aric Yegudkin.[9] From 2012, Nicodemou hosted Channel Seven's reality series Please Marry My Boy.[10] Nicodemou made a guest appearance in an episode of Drop Dead Weird in 2018.[11]

Personal life

Nicodemou married Chrys Xipolitas in 2007.[12] They separated in 2010, but reconciled the following month.[13] On 22 August 2012, Nicodemou gave birth to the couple's first child, a son.[14] In March 2014, it was announced that the couple were expecting their second child. On 7 August, Nicodemou revealed that their second son had been stillborn.[15]

Nicodemou and Xipolitas separated in late 2015.[16] Nicodemou has been in a relationship with businessman Adam Rigby since 2016.[17]

Since 2005 Nicodemou has been an ambassador of the PixiFoto Foundation that raises funds for a Childhood Blindness Prevention program in Africa. She is also an ambassador for Save our Sons, a charity supporting Duchenne muscular dystrophy and the National Breast Cancer Foundation.[18] She is also a supporter of the Starlight Children's Foundation and Make-A-Wish Foundation Australia.[6]
Filmography

Ada Nicodemou in 2018
Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994–1997	Heartbreak High	Katerina "Kat" Ioannou	Main cast
1995	Police Rescue	Anastasia Skouras	12 episodes
1998–1999	Breakers	Fiona Motson	Main cast
2000	BeastMaster	The Nymph	Episode: "Riddle of the Nymph"
2000	Pizza	Policewoman	Episode: "Crime Pizza"
2000–	Home and Away	Leah Patterson-Baker	Main cast
2009	Beauty and the Geek Australia	Judge	1 Episode
2012	Please Marry My Boy	Host
2018	Drop Dead Weird	Ava	Episode: "The Zombie Queen"

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1999	The Matrix	Dujour (the "white rabbit" girl)
2007	Almost	Trixie Hart

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Work / nominee	Result	Ref
2001	Logie Awards	Most Popular Personality on Australian Television	Home and Away	Nominated	^[19]
2002		Most Popular Actress		Nominated	^[20]
2002		Most Popular Personality on Australian Television		Nominated	^[20]
2006		Most Popular Actress		Nominated	^[21]
2006		Most Popular Personality on Australian Television		Nominated	^[21]

References

"Ada Nicodemou plays Leah Patterson-Baker". TVNZ OnDemand. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
Connolly, Paul (29 May 2011). "Ada Nicodemou". The Sun-Herald. Archived from the original on 15 June 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
"Follow Your Roots: Ada Nicodemou's Cyprus". Expedia. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
"Heartbreak High: Where are they now?". TV Week. 16 August 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
Kmaid, Joanne (22 December 2016). "Actor Focus: Ada Nicodemou". Cinema Australia. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
Everton, Denise (17 March 2000). "Homecoming for soapie star". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
"20 facts you didn't know about Home And Away". TV Week. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
Jolly, Nathan (1 October 2016). "Where are the Heartbreak High boys now?". news.com.au. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
"Ada takes out Dancing With The Stars". The Age. 9 November 2005. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
Knox, David (28 November 2011). "Ada Nicodemou to host Please Marry My Boy". TV Tonight. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
"Brand new children's comedy series Drop Dead Weird launches on the Seven Network and RTE Ireland". Ambience Entertainment. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
"Ada's big fat Greek wedding". Sunday Telegraph. 18 February 2007. Retrieved 31 July 2009.
"Love split still raw for Ada Nicodemou". The Daily Telegraph. 13 April 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
"Ada Nicodemou welcomes a baby boy". Channel 5. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
"Ada Nicodemou, Home & Away actor, announces stillbirth of son Harrison". news.com.au. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
Halliwell, Elle (18 April 2016). "Ada Nicodemou's husband Chrys Xipolitas opens up about parenting after a split". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
"Home and Away's Ada Nicodemou and boyfriend Adam Rigby share their love story". TV Week. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
"Ada Nicodemou". Sydney Weekender. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
"McCune up for another Gold Logie". Australian Associated Press via Australian Television Information Archive. 3 April 2001. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
"Logie nominations for 2002". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 April 2002. Retrieved 10 July 2018.