The star had admitted to health and financial struggles in recent years.
Naddel, real name Nadja Abd el Farrag,the German TV star, singer and actress, who appeared in the German versions of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here and Celebrity Big Brother, has died of organ failure in a Hamburg clinic at the age of 60. The star died on May 9 but the news has only just been public. Alongside her career she was famous for her relationship with music icon Dieter Bohlen, who was one half of the legendary pop group Modern Talking. The couple were in a relationship from 1989 to 1996 and again from 1997 to 2001. He posted a video of the pair on stage together and simply captioned it: “I am very sad. Rest in peace Nadja”.
Fans also paid tribute online as they learned the sad news. “Rest in peace, Nadja #naddel #RIP In my youth, you dominated the daily news about high society. Then came a rapid rollercoaster ride with ups and downs. Passing away at 60 is a truly tragic thing! She had to go through a lot in her much too short life – R.I.P. ‘Naddel’,” one penned.
“#NadjaAbdelFarrag You were fun, but it (life) wasn’t all easy. #RIP #Nadja,” another wrote.
“Nadja Abd el Farrag died at the age of 60. Far too early. #RIP #Naddel,” a third chimed in
“Nadja Abd el Farrag has died. Also known as Naddel. Another former Jungle Camp participant is no more. #ibes #naddel #RIP,” a fourth commented.
Nadja was born in Hamburg to a Sudanese father, Ibrahim, and a German mother, Uta. In interviews over the years she described her father as very strict and was estranged from him for the last fifteen years before his death. Prior to finding fame she did an apprenticeship as a chemist’s assistant and worked in a shop.
In 1989, Nadja met Dieter and became a background singer for his Blue System project. During that time, she briefly continued to work a part-time job in a hospice. In 1999, she did two photoshoots Playboy and in the early and mid-2000s she became well known as the presenter of of the RTL2 show Peep and for being a participant in the first season of the German version of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here in 2004.
Over the past 15 years her life was dominated by health crises and financial difficulties. In 2018, she revealed in her autobiography Achterbahn that she was suffering from cirrhosis of the liver – a consequence of her addiction problem, but also of the medication she was taking for her ADHD.
Despite medical warnings, she was unable to give up alcohol. “I only half-heartedly accepted the doctor’s advice and reduced my consumption to one or two glasses of wine a week,” she admitted in her book.
Shortly before her 60th birthday on March 5, this year she spoke about her precarious financial situation: “I only receive a pension of €200,” she admitted. Although she sought help from a debt advisor she only had moderate success improving her circumstances.
In 2023, Hamburg entrepreneur Andreas Ellermann organised a performance at Schlagermove in May 2024 to help her get back on her feet. It was to be her last public appearance. Following this she retired.