Shaun Williamson has revealed why stepping back into the role of Barry Evans for an upcoming EastEnders special carried huge personal weight.
The actor will briefly reprise his character next month in an episode centred on Nigel Bates, whose dementia symptoms deepen, prompting him to imagine familiar faces from his past.
Shaun who said he was 'shocked and thrilled' to be asked back to Walford said the storyline resonated powerfully, due to his own experience caring for his mother, Irene, who died three years ago after living with dementia.
Speaking to The Sun he said: 'It felt incredibly personal for me. My mum passed away after getting dementia. We lost her in 2022. That's why I thought returning was such a great idea, and why the story hit me so deeply.'
He added that the pandemic made the situation even harder for his mother due to the lack of social interaction, noting that despite the family's efforts, she later suffered a stroke.
'We did everything we could as a family to support her, but she then suffered a stroke and we lost her. It was heartbreaking. She was 87.'
Shaun Williamson has revealed why stepping back into the role of Barry Evans for an upcoming EastEnders special carried huge personal weight.
The actor will briefly reprise his character next month in an episode centred on Nigel Bates, whose dementia symptoms deepen, prompting him to imagine familiar faces from his past.
Shaun added that he hopes the soap's storyline will highlight the scale of the issue.
'I wanted to raise awareness because in 30 to 40 years' time it's predicted that dementia cases will have doubled. That's a frightening thought', he said.
Although Barry was killed off more than two decades ago when Janine pushed him off a cliff, producers devised a one-off sequence in which Nigel envisions several key figures from his life gathering inside the Queen Vic.
The scene places Barry among friends and family from his past, appearing as Nigel remembers them, rather than in their current-day realities.
The brief return also reunited Shaun with co-stars including Pam St Clement who played Pat Butcher and Nicola Duffett who played Debbie Bates in the hit BBC soap.
Although their relationship was fraught in the land of the living, Pat and Barry will put aside their differences to help Nigel in his time of need.
The special episode will air in December, and EastEnders has been working closely with Dementia UK on Nigel's storyline since its inception.
Speaking on his return to EastEnders, Shaun said: 'It was a complete shock getting the call to go back to Albert Square, but so exciting!
Shaun who said he was 'shocked and thrilled' to be asked back to Walford and said the storyline resonated powerfully, due to his own experience with his mother suffering from dementia
Barry was killed off more than two decades ago when his wife Janine pushed him off a cliff, causing him to fall and die from his injuries
The news comes days after it was revealed that Pam St Clement is set to make her comeback this December too (pictured on the soap in 2011)
'I have to admit to a few nerves (loads!) when I walked back onto the set of The Queen Victoria, but it was so great to work with old friends and colleagues on such a brilliant episode. Just goes to show, you never know what's around the corner!'
Barry was killed off more than two decades ago when Janine pushed him off a cliff,
Ben Wadey, EastEnders Executive Producer, added: 'I'm delighted to welcome Shaun Williamson back to EastEnders for Nigel's special episode.'
He continued: 'Barry Evans was renowned for being one of Walford's unluckiest residents, most notably for his choice of shoes, and so it was a privilege to welcome him back alongside Pat for these special scenes in The Vic.'
It's been over 21 years since Barry last stepped into Walford. However, his character remains etched into the history of the show for his inherent bad luck, hopeless love life, and epic feud with step-mother Pat Evans.
After a series of failed romances, Barry thought he had finally found his match when he married Walford's Janine Butcher, but their relationship proved to be most fateful of all.
Since leaving the BBC One soap in 2004, Shaun has taken on roles across TV, film and stage, and launched the hugely successful Barrioke in 2019
He unknowingly made a wardrobe faux pas by not wearing slip-on shoes and fell to his untimely death in 2004 when Janine pushed him off a cliff.
Since leaving the BBC One soap in 2004, Shaun has taken on roles across TV, film and stage, including Extras and The Invention of Lying; as well as various reality series.
He also launched the hugely successful Barrioke in 2019 which sees him travel up and down the country with a huge karaoke party.
He is now preparing for pantomime season, where he will play the villain in Aladdin at The Kings Theatre, Portsmouth.