EastEnders fans have quickly identified newcomer Martha Howe-Douglas, who is currently appearing in the BBC soap as Annie Pritchard. Annie is in Albert Square to collect a debt that Big Mo owes to her gangster family in Birmingham – but viewers have instead been focused on the actress behind the character, and her previous TV credits. Martha is perhaps best known for the BBC sketch show Horrible Histories in which she appeared between 2009 until 2013, taking on a number of historical figures, including Queen Elizabeth I. She also played Simon's assistant Becky in the BBC drama Doctor Foster, teaming up with Suranne Jones' character Gemma to help expose his infidelity.
EastEnders actress Martha Howe-Douglas previously appeared on Horrible Histories
Fans quickly took to Twitter to discuss Martha's appearance on the hit soap, with one writing: "The woman from Horrible Histories is on EastEnders asking for £5,000 and I can't even deal!" A second added: "You thought this ep of EastEnders couldn’t get any better – and then her off Horrible Histories walks in."
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The TV star is playing Annie Pritchard in the BBC soap
Monday night's episode of EastEnders saw Annie finally catch up with Big Mo, who was later brutally attacked in the Square. It came after it was revealed that Mo had faked Kat Slater's death and had even taken some money from the Queen Vic fundraiser held in Kat's memory. She was on her way to return some of the money when she runs into Annie, who discovered she was still alive when Martin Fowler inadvertently mistook her for a journalist.
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As Mo tried to talk her way out of the situation, Annie could be seen walking ominously towards her, and in a later scene she was seen with a bloodied face sitting on a bench in the Square. Viewers were divided in their response, with one tweeting: "Poor Mo #EastEnders", while another wrote: "Serves you right, Mo. What you did was horrible."