German reality TV star Nadja Abd el Farrag, who is best known by her stage name Naddel, has died at the age of 60 – with the star’s fans paying emotional trfbutes

Big Brother star Naddel has died(Image: (Image: Getty))

German singer and actress Naddel, whose real name was Nadja Abd el Farrag, has died aged 60 from organ failure. The TV star was best known for her appearances on the German versions of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here and Celebrity Big Brother.

Naddel died at a Hamburg clinic on May 9 and mourners have since taken to social media to pay their respects. One fan wrote: “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’.”

Naddel with her ex Dieter Bohlen(Image: (Image: Getty))

“#NadjaAbdelFarrag You were fun, but it (life) wasn’t all easy. #RIP #Nadja,” another stated in tribute.

A third follower reflected: “Nadja Abd el Farrag died at the age of 60. Far too early. #RIP #Naddel,” reports the Express.

And finally, a fourth said: “Nadja Abd el Farrag has died. Also known as Naddel. Another former Jungle Camp participant is no more. #ibes #naddel #RIP,” noting her reality TV past.

Famed not only for her extensive career but for her high-profile relationship with music legend Dieter Bohlen, one half of the iconic pop duo Modern Talking, she had shared her life with him from 1989 to 1996 and then again from 1997 to 2001. An emotional Bohlen marked her death by posting a video of the two onstage with a simple yet profound caption: “I am very sad. Rest in peace Nadja”.

Naddel hailed from Hamburg, born to a Sudanese father, Ibrahim, and a German mother, Uta. Through various interviews, she’s shared that her father was quite strict, leading to their estrangement for the last 15 years preceding his passing.

Before stepping into the limelight, she completed an apprenticeship as a chemist’s assistant and worked in retail.

Her life took a turn in 1989 when she crossed paths with Dieter and joined his Blue System project as a background singer. She managed to balance her music commitments with a part-time job in a hospice during this period.

Nadja made waves in 1999 with two photoshoots for Playboy, and in the 2000s she gained fame as presenter of the RTL2 show Peep and as a contestant on the first series of the German I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here in 2004.

The subsequent 15 years for Nadja were marred by health crises and financial struggles. In 2018 she disclosed in her autobiography Achterbahn that she had been battling cirrhosis of the liver, attributable not only to her substance misuse but also to medication for ADHD.

Despite stark medical advice, quitting alcohol proved too challenging for Nadja. “I only half-heartedly accepted the doctor’s advice and reduced my consumption to one or two glasses of wine a week,” she conceded in her memoir.

Just before reaching her 60th milestone on March 5, this year, she opened up about the shaky state of her finances: “I only receive a pension of €200,” she confessed. Despite seeking guidance from a debt advisor, she achieved only modest success in bettering her situation.

In an act of goodwill, Hamburg businessman Andreas Ellermann planned a performance at Schlagermove for May 2024 as a means to support her recovery. This event was destined to become her final public engagement. Subsequent to this, she withdrew from the limelight.