Emma Watson, 33, enjoys a cosy lunch with a Syrian refugee Bafta winner who arrived in the UK by dinghy
Her list of ex-boyfriends includes Silicon Valley millionaires and the son of high street guru Sir Philip Green.
But Harry Potter star Emma Watson may now have cast her spell over a Syrian refugee filmmaker, who was seen putting a smile on her face this week.
The actress, 33, cosied up to Hassan Akkad – an English teacher in Damascus turned writer and human rights activist – at a lunch in Mayfair.
Ms Watson and Mr Akkad, who arrived in the UK by dinghy in 2015 following an 87-day journey across Europe, enjoyed a date at expensive Italian restaurant Cecconi’s, where starters cost up to £23.
One onlooker said: ‘They seemed very cosy.’
HAPPY TOGETHER Emma Watson appears to grown close to Syrian filmmaker Hassan Akkad
Harry Potter star Emma Watson may now have cast her spell over a Syrian refugee filmmaker, who was seen putting a smile on her face this week
Mr Akkad was seen putting a smile on Ms Watson’s face at lunch this week in Mayfair, London
Mr Akkad, 35, had written at length in his memoir Hope Not Fear, which Ms Watson heavily plugged on her Instagram UN book club in 2021, about his experience of meeting the actress and model
Ms Watson was seen embracing him during their lunch date
The pair enjoyed a date at expensive Italian restaurant Cecconi’s where starters cost up to £23
Mr Akkad was later seen carrying her water bottle as they left the restaurant
Ms Watson’s bamboo water bottle features her initials ECW
The pair were then seen getting into Mr Akkad’s Skoda SUV
They have enjoyed a close friendship since 2017, but Mr Akkad told the Mail yesterday that Ms Watson was ‘out of my league’
However, Mr Akkad told the Mail yesterday: ‘She’s out of my league.’
Ms Watson was seen embracing him during their lunch date, however, and he was later spotted carrying her bamboo water bottle – featuring her initials, ECW – as they left the restaurant and drove off in his Skoda SUV.
The pair have enjoyed a close friendship since 2017, when they met at a summit in Italy where they were both giving talks. Mr Akkad, 35, wrote at length in his memoir Hope Not Fear, which Ms Watson heavily plugged on her Instagram UN book club in 2021, about his experience of meeting the actress and model.
He wrote: ‘I suggested that we borrow one of the Maserati that were being loaned to guests and go for a drive.
‘There I was, driving a car with Emma Watson through the stunning countryside.
‘I kept saying how surreal the whole experience was and so Emma started filming me on her mobile phone.
‘We went back and that night we danced together at the hotel.’ Mr Akkad continued: ‘Back in the UK, my friendship with Emma grew.
‘We went to a music festival together and she introduced me to her friends. We have a shared passion for photography and films. We would usually spend time at her house because she didn’t want to go out and get recognised.’
Ms Watson (pictured at the Soho House awards in New York) previously dated Californian businessman Leo Robinton for two years
Mr Akkad, an English teacher turned filmmaker and human rights activist, arrived in the UK by dinghy in 2015 following an 87-day journey across Europe
Earlier this year, Ms Watson broke up with Brandon Green, son of Sir Phillip Green after they had dated for 18 months
In 2017, Mr Akkad won a Bafta for his BBC2 documentary series Exodus: Our Journey To Europe, which includes footage of him clinging to the side of a sinking, overcrowded dinghy while attempting to cross the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece
In 2017, Mr Akkad won a Bafta for his BBC2 documentary series Exodus: Our Journey To Europe. He captured footage for the series while travelling to the UK from Syria in 2015, having fled Damascus after being jailed for demonstrating against the government.
The documentary includes harrowing footage of Mr Akkad clinging to the side of a sinking, overcrowded dinghy as he attempts to cross the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece.
In 2020, he volunteered as a cleaner on a Covid ward in east London and was awarded British citizenship in 2022.
Ms Watson previously dated Californian businessman Leo Robinton for two years.
More recently, she dated Sir Philip’s son, Brandon Green, for 18 months but the pair broke up earlier this year.
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