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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Lisa McLoughlin

Line of Duty star Anna Maxwell Martin reveals bizarre food phobia

Anna Maxwell-Martin has shared her unusual food phobia, admitting she can't stand being near sandwiches, mayonnaise or even open fridges.

The Line of Duty star, 47, said it’s so bad that she has to ask those she’s working with to leave set so they can enjoy their sandwiches.

Appearing on the Dish podcast, she shared: “I think I’ve got phobic food issues.

“Not in the room, not in the house. If I’m on a set and sandwiches are brought on — it’s hard for me to even say that word — I’d have to say ‘get that out’.

“Sorry other actors, you’re not eating. Or if you want to eat, step outside. But not in here.”

The actress pictured on Line of Duty (PA)

The Motherland actress attributes her aversion to being "sick, sick, sick as a dog" during her pregnancies with her two daughters, along with her high standards for fridges—which are so particular that she will refuse an entire hotel room if the fridge bothers her.

She said: “I think there is a trauma. It’s not about sandwiches, but I was sick all through my pregnancies. Sick, sick, sick as a dog. So now I also have a problem with fridges as well.

"Oh my God, I can open a fridge and be like ‘not for me, not staying here, not eating here’.

“Someone was saying to me the other day that she doesn’t like the sound of chewing gum or the sound of things and she said maybe you have a similar thing about foods.

“I was on a train yesterday with sandwiches and it was a nightmare.”

Elsewhere, the BBC star has swapped her blonde hair for a short brunette bob for her role in David Mitchell's new BBC comedy, Ludwig.

She stars as Lucy Betts-Taylor, Ludwig's sister-in-law and the wife of his missing brother James, alongside Mitchell and former EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, 29, who plays Freya Chordwell.

The comedy follows Mitchell's character, John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor, whose life is turned upside down when his identical twin brother, James, mysteriously vanishes.

Determined to find out what happened, Ludwig takes on his brother's identity in a quest to discover the truth.

The series also features guest stars including Derek Jacobi, Felicity Kendal, Rose Ayling-Ellis, Karl Pilkington, Allan Mustafa, Paul Chahidi, and Hammed Animashaun.

The six-part series, with 60-minute episodes, is set to premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this autumn.

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