Babe Smith (also known as Aunt Babe) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Annette Badland. She first appeared in episode 4796 of the show, originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on 31 January 2014, and was introduced as the maternal aunt of established characters Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) and Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White). She was introduced as part of a set of new characters that expanded the Carter family across 2013 and 2014, headed by executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins. Babe and Badland's casting were announced on 12 December 2013. Babe's storylines have mostly revolved around her relationship with the Carter family, most notably the delicate relationship with her sister Sylvie Carter (Linda Marlowe) and the unrequited love for her brother-in-law Stan Carter (Timothy West). Babe's other storylines have included her past baby farming, encouraging Abi Branning (Lorna Fitzgerald) to fake a pregnancy, blackmailing Les Coker (Roger Sloman), leading to her subsequent feud with Claudette Hubbard (Ellen Thomas), and being attacked by an unknown character, who was later revealed to be Abi. The decision not to renew Badland's contract was announced on 18 September 2016, with Babe scheduled to depart from the series in 2017, three years after her debut. Badland made her final appearance in episode 5438, originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on 9 February 2017.