LEILA LOWDOWN
Who is Leila Farzad and why is she mentioned in Amy Nuttall’s ‘rules’ for Andrew Buchan?
The actress is also known for voicing a famous cartoon character
AFTER appearing in I Hate Suzie alongside Billie Piper, Leila Farzad has become an in-demand actress.
However, the TV star hit headlines after it was alleged she had an affair with Amy Nuttall’s husband Andrew Buchan.
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Who is Leila Farzad?
Born in 1983 in London, Leila Farzad is a TV actress of Iranian descent.
She was inspired to pursue acting by watching National Theatre productions with her aunt, however, her parents requested she get a degree from Oxbridge first.
She went to Oxford University studying Modern Languages at Worcester College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in French and Italian Literature.
However she then went on to train at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she persued her passion for acting.
Read more on Better
What has Leila Farzad starred in?
Leila is probably best known for playing Naomi Jones in Sky Atlantic comedy-drama I Hate Suzie, alongside Billie Piper.
However, Peppa Pig fans might recognise her voice as Mrs Cat and Mrs Pony in the popular children’s TV series, which was one of her very first TV roles.
Other credits include appearances in BBC sitcoms Twenty Twelve and This Time With Alan Partridge, as well as HBO and Sky Atlantic’s Avenue 5 and Netflix show Black Mirror.
She has also done theatre, appearing in Richard II at the Globe.
Most read in Drama
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Who does Leila Farzad play in Better?
Leila led the cast as DCI Lou Slack in BBC One's 2023 crime drama Better.
It was while playing this role that she met actor Andrew Buchan.
Speaking about bagging the lead role, Leila told : “I never dared to dream that my name would be first on a cast list - I just wanted to be employed.
“So, to have that privilege is incredible, but comes with its own pressure that you do the role and the writing justice, because you’re carrying quite a lot of it on your shoulders.”
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Is Leila Farzad on social media?
Leila does not post about her personal life on social media.
She has an impressive following on Instagram, where she uploads pictures from her work and highlights injustices in Iran.
As of April 2024, Leila's popular handle @leila_farzad_official has 14K followers.
Is Leila Farzad married?
Leila has been married to her husband James Maziels since October 2013, and they share a daughter together.
Leila and James were friends for more than six years before getting into a relationship.
In February 2023, it was alleged that Leila had an affair with her Better co-star Andrew Buchan.
The actor is married to former Emmerdale star Amy Nuttall.
After news hit, Amy and Andrew split but reunited when the actress “gave him a set of rules” he needed “to follow” in order for their marriage work.
One of these alleged rules was to “you must have no contact with Leila at any time or for any reason”.
Read More on The Sun
Following the news of the alleged affair, Leila has never spoken publicly about it and has remained together with her husband James.
Meanwhile, in April 2024 it was revealed that Amy was also back together with Andrew.
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