Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity star dies aged 60: German performer's pop star ex leads the tributes as cause of death is revealed

Daily Mail​

16-05-2025

German singer and actress Naddel, whose real name was Nadja Abd el Farrag, has passed away aged 60.
It's been reported that the performer, who has appeared in the German versions of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here and Celebrity Big Brother, died from organ failure at a Hamburg clinic.
Naddel died on May 9, however, her death has only now been made public, reports The Mirror.
As well as her TV and music career, Naddel was also known for her relationship with music legend Dieter Bohlen, 71 - who is one have of pop group Modern Talking.
Dieter, who dated Naddel on and off between 1989 and 2001, paid tribute to his ex on Instagram
Alongside a video of the pair on stage together, he simply penned: 'I am very sad. Rest in peace Nadja'.
Meanwhile, other fans took to social media to share their condolences.
One penned: '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 - RIP 'Naddel.'
'NadjaAbdelFarrag You were fun, but it (life) wasn't all easy. #RIP #Nadja', a second person wrote.
A third added: 'Nadja Abd el Farrag died at the age of 60. Far too early. #RIP #Naddel.'
With an additional fan adding: 'Nadja Abd el Farrag has died. Also known as Naddel. Another former Jungle Camp participant is no more', The Mirror reports.
Naddel was born in Hamburg to Sudanese father Ibrahim and a German mother named Uta.
In various interviews over the ears, Naddel described her father as very strict and as such was estranged from him in the 15 years before his death.
Prior to finding fame, the beauty completed an apprenticeship as a chemist's assistance and also in retail.
Naddel crossed paths with Dieter in 1989 and went on to become a backing singer for his his Blue System project.
During that time, Naddel continued to work part-time at a hospice.
Back in 1999, she caught the year with two photoshoots for Playboy before going on to hit the spotlight in the 2000s thanks to her role hosting RTL2's Peep as well as an appearance in the first season of Germany's I'm A Celebrity in 2004.
The following 15 years saw Naddel's life marred by health and financial woes.
In her 2018 autobiography Achterbahn, she revealed she had been suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, which was exacerbated by both substance abuse and her medication for ADHD.
However, despite warnings from doctors, Naddel admitted she had difficulties in giving up the booze.
In her 2018 autobiography Achterbahn, she revealed she had been suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, which was exacerbated by both substance abuse and her medication for ADHD [pictured in 2017]
She said in her book: 'I only half-heartedly accepted the doctor's advice and reduced my consumption to one or two glasses of wine a week.'
Ahead of her 60th birthday milestone on March 5, she candidly opened up about her challenging financial situation, confessing: 'I only receive a pension of €200.'
And though she sought the help of a debt advisor, she only made marginal improvements to her financial situation.
As a gesture of goodwill and kindness, Hamburg entrepreneur Andreas Ellermann organised a concert at Schlagermove in May 2024 in a bid to aid her combecak.
However, this was to be Naddel's final public appearance and she withdrew from the public eye.