Barry Evans

Name: Barry Evans
First Appeared: 27th December 1994
Last Appeared: 2nd January 2004
Played by: Shaun Williamson

Barry Evans made his first splashy appearance in Albert Square in late 1994, moving in when his father, Roy Evans, began a relationship with Pat Butcher. Right from the start, Barry found himself tangled up in drama, particularly when Frank Butcher returned in 1996 to reclaim Pat and his business. Barry’s attempt to scare Frank away by hiring an arsonist backfired, landing him in prison. Upon his release, he was entrusted with running the car-lot, renamed ‘Evans & Son’, while his father retired, though Barry continually struggled to gain Roy’s approval.

Barry’s blunders didn’t stop there. He provided a secret meeting spot for Cindy Beale and David Wicks, and later helped Cindy escape the country when she was wanted for Ian Beale’s attempted murder. Barry’s biggest misstep, however, was falling for con-woman Vanessa Carlton, who duped him into investing the family’s money into a fake business venture. Vanessa vanished, and Barry’s mistake forced Roy out of retirement, a blow from which Barry never fully recovered in his father’s eyes. Consequently, Barry had to seek employment elsewhere, resulting in him using unscrupulous means to replace Robbie Jackson as the local video shop manager.

By 1999, Barry turned to a dating agency to find love, leading him to Natalie Price. After a series of disastrous dates, they eventually fell for each other. Their relationship blossomed, culminating in a millennium double wedding with Ian Beale and Melanie Healy. Married life initially treated Barry and Natalie well, but the arrival of their son Jack in 2002 coincided with family tensions, particularly with Barry’s half-brother Nathan Williams. Nathan, the result of Roy’s affair, resented Barry, causing strife in the Evans household. Despite Barry and Roy’s efforts to include Nathan, things boiled over when Nathan kissed Natalie, leading Roy to disown him.

Barry’s life took a darker turn when Natalie had an affair with Ricky Butcher, and their subsequent split led to Roy’s fatal heart attack during a confrontation with Pat. Blaming Pat for his father’s death, Barry became reclusive, opening the door for Janine Butcher to manipulate him. Sensing an opportunity, Janine and her secret boyfriend Paul Trueman concocted a scheme to exploit Barry’s vulnerability, leading to a rushed engagement and marriage in Scotland. When Barry revealed he wasn’t dying as Janine had believed, she cruelly confessed her deceit. Desperate to hold onto her, Barry begged Janine to stay, but she pushed him away, causing him to stumble and fall to his death on the Scottish moors.