‘It was frightening’: EastEnders’ star Annette Badland reveals she was sent death threats while playing villain Aunt Babe… but would still ‘love’ to return to Albert Square
Former EastEnders star Annette Badland – who played villain Aunt Babe – has revealed she was sent death threats while on the soap.
The actress, who starred on the show from 2013-2017, revealed in a podcast that viewers were so taken by her evil on-screen character that she was sent ‘death threats’ while on the soap.
Annette said that people believed the manipulative character – the aunt to Danny Dyer’s Mick Carter – she played was real to the point were some wanted ‘revenge’.
Frightening: Annette Badland revealed in a podcast on Monday that viewers were so taken by her evil on-screen character, Aunt Babe, that she was sent ‘death threats’ while on the soap
Speaking on the Distinct Nostalgia podcast about the response she used to get from fans, she said: ‘For EastEnders it was, “Babe! You alright Babe? How’s Babe today? How are you doing Babe? Aren’t you a one.”
‘That was very different for me, I’d never ever, ever had that before, that people really thought you were the person.
While most EastEnders fans enjoyed seeing her play the villain, the soap star admitted that there were some scary moments towards the end of her time as Aunt Babe that she received death threats.
Villain: The former EastEnders actress, 70, said that people believed the manipulative character she played was real to the point were some wanted ‘revenge’
‘Most people loved her and enjoyed the naughtiness of it. But towards the end I did have death threats. Which is very shocking and frightening.
‘It’s a tricky thing, isn’t it? You go, “Oh, well, this is wonderful that people think that she is real,” and go with it and enjoy it.
‘Then you go oh right, there’s some people who do go with it and don’t enjoy it and it offends them, or they think it’s real and they want revenge.’
Annette revealed that ‘the police were involved’ and though she was ‘quite frightened for a bit’, she said she had to go about her life and ‘hope for the best’.
Annette played the the fictional character of Babe Smith, otherwise known as Aunt Babe, from 2014 until 2017, as the aunt of Shirley, Mick and Tina Carter and the sister of Sylvie.
Some of Aunt Babe’s wicked deeds included helping Shirley Carter to shoot Phil Mitchell, blackmailing Les Coker and was also involved in ‘baby farming’ – selling babies in an illegal adoption business in her earlier life.
In her final EastEnders scene, she was forced to leave Walford by Mick Carter after he realised her deceit but she warned that she would return.
Despite the previous death threats, Annette admitted that she would ‘love to’ return to the soap for a storyline and ‘rattle their cages’.
Imminent return? And last week, the soap star sparked further speculation that she is returning to Walford by tweeting a clip of her final scenes in EastEnders, writing: ‘Faaaaaaamily!’
Annette said: ‘She could [return]…. It would make me cautious, but I’d love to go in for a story and see them all again and rattle their cages.
‘I would have to take a deep breath and think about but it would be lovely to go and be with them all again.’
And last week, the soap star sparked further speculation that she is returning to Walford by tweeting a clip of her final scenes in EastEnders, writing: ‘Faaaaaaamily!’
A fan replied asking her if a return from Aunt Babe was ‘imminent’, with Annette mysteriously writing back: ‘Be careful what you wish for.’
Character: Despite the previous death threats, the actress admitted that she would ‘love to’ return to the soap for a storyline and ‘rattle their cages’