Geoff Barnes

Name: Geoff Barnes
First Appeared: 9th May 1994
Last Appeared: 24th October 1995
Played by: David Roper

Geoff Barnes was Michelle Fowler’s personal tutor at university and played a significant role in her final year in 1994. When Michelle began struggling academically, Geoff stepped in to help her get back on track. Their relationship quickly evolved from a professional friendship to a romantic one, despite Geoff being nearly 30 years her senior. The age difference worried Geoff, but Michelle wasn’t fazed. Her father, Arthur Fowler, however, was not happy about it. He resented Geoff, feeling that his role as the paternal figure for Michelle and her daughter, Vicki, was being undermined.

The situation became more complex when Michelle and her auntie, Kathy Beale, spotted Geoff dancing with another woman at a nightclub. It turned out to be his daughter, Felicity, an obnoxious snob who constantly goaded Michelle about her past and their class differences. The tension between Michelle and Felicity was palpable every time they met, adding strain to Michelle’s relationship with Geoff.

Later in the year, Geoff became a source of support for Pat Butcher, who was going through a tough time. He persuaded her to take a business studies evening course, leading Pat to believe he had romantic intentions. Gossip about their relationship spread, and just as Geoff decided to let Pat down gently, she pre-emptively ended their social interactions. In 1995, Geoff was offered a job in Scotland and proposed to Michelle, hoping she and Vicki would join him. Michelle hesitated, and Arthur’s extreme disapproval only made her more defiant. Despite her concerns about their relationship lacking passion, she agreed to marry Geoff after being goaded by her nemesis, Grant Mitchell.