BBC bosses issued a rare red alert safety warning to former EastEnders actress Annette Badland after a fan sent credible death threats. The actress was told to stay home and not disclose her whereabouts during a six-week investigation.
Death Threats and a Red Alert
Speaking on Sally Lindsay's podcast, Annette said: “Because I was leaving, they racked up my villainy and I actually got thrown out of, literally, thrown out of the pub by Danny and cursed them.” She added: “But I had death threats. I got the call from the BBC security saying, ‘We're getting death threats. There are red alert code words in this, so we have to take it seriously’.”
She was warned to only leave her house if absolutely necessary, and not to tell anyone where she was going if she did go out.
The Investigation
The individual behind the threats was never identified. Annette said the threats were traced to a school near Liverpool, but because a public computer was used, the investigation could go no further. She effectively lived under house arrest during the probe.
Memories of EastEnders
Despite the harrowing end, Annette cherished her time on the soap. She described Danny Dyer as “bright, kind-hearted...and daft.” She recalled that he taught her to say the C-word, which proved useful when she later joined Ted Lasso and had to deliver crude dialogue. However, that scene was cut.
An unscripted moment with Timothy West convinced writers she could be a villain. She said: “I picked up the remote control and turned the television off. I told him what I thought, put the telly back on, and left. And I think they thought, 'Ooh, she can be nasty'.”
A Villainous Farewell
Over three years, her character Babe Smith was locked in a freezer by Abi Branning, caught stealing from the Queen Vic safe, and finally banished after a savage outburst at Linda Carter, with Mick Carter throwing her out of the pub.
