devastates him as he has always longed for a son who would inherit the family business. Seeing her father's devastation, Annie shows some rare emotion and tells him she'd always sensed his desperation for a son and that is why she'd always strived so hard to prove her worth. Unable to deal with Annie's emotion, George leaves England in 1998, leaving Annie to run their businesses on her own. Annie's loan-shark business hits a setback in 1999, when she dabbles on the turf of a rival business gang. Refusing to cede after receiving threats, she is beaten nearly to death by the gang's heavies. Although she shows a brave front, her confidence is severely undermined. Annie later becomes involved with fellow businessman Steve Owen (Martin Kemp); the two are locked in a cat-and-mouse game of one-upmanship with each other. He manages to get through her prickly defences, and even manages to buy her nightclub, which he renames The E20. Annie hears news her father has been arrested in New Zealand for tax evasion so she turns to Steve for support and comfort, but he rejects her, leaving her humiliated. To get back at him, she sells her health-club shares to Grant instead of him, but it is a hollow victory and in June 1999 she leaves Walford. She lives with her father in New Zealand, where his import/export business is based. Casting and departure Sawalha spoke in an interview with Larry Jaffee about how she got the role of Annie saying that she auditioned with many other actresses. She got through to the screen test with Victoria Gould who played Polly Becker. Sawalha has said that the only two they screen-tested were her and Victoria Gould: "We were always going to get the job. They hadn’t decided which way they were going to go (who was going to be Annie and who Polly). They always have a vague idea of they want, and then they build the character around the person they choose. I was pleased when they turned it around." She also said she enjoyed playing "such a devilsome lady". Sawalha originally believed she may not be right for EastEnders saying,“My father is Arabic and my mother English. I just thought that I was too exotic — that there wasn’t enough call for a foreigner.” In September 1998 it was revealed that Sawalha had quit the role. Reception Author