EastEnders legend Shaun Williamson reveals heartbreaking reason he decided to return to Walford after 21 years
SHAUN WILLIAMSON has revealed the heartbreaking reason why his return to EastEnders as Barry Evans means so much to him.
It is 21 years since Barry was pushed to his death off a cliff by his screen wife Janine Butcher, but he is returning as a vision to Nigel Bates during a special episode next month about Nigel’s worsening dementia.
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Shaun Williamson is returning to Eastenders after 21 yearsCredit: Unknown
Viewers last saw Barry when he was pushed off a cliff by Janine played by Charlie BrooksCredit: Handout
Barry will return to Walford as a vision to Nigel Bates as part of his dementia storylineCredit: PA
In an exclusive interview Shaun has told how he wants to raise awareness of the condition after watching his mum Irene battle dementia before she died three years ago.
He says: “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.
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“I was shocked to be asked, but genuinely thrilled.
“Covid was especially hard on her — mainly due to the lack of social interaction.
“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.
“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.”
Since leaving the BBC One soap 21 years ago, Shaun has repeatedly been asked if he will return.
But the down-to-earth, chatty star tells me: “I’ve always thought it impossible.
“Janine had him cremated in Scotland, Pat brought the ashes back, it would just be ridiculous.
“I certainly wouldn’t recreate a Dallas-type episode where Bobby Ewing returns from the dead, getting out of the shower, wrapped in a towel.
“EastEnders would lose about another million viewers if I did that.
“But Barry’s return is credible.
‘BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN’
“It is in an empty pub but, in Nigel’s mind, it’s full of his old mates and there’s a karaoke going on. It’s beautifully written.”
On screen, characters Barry and his stepmother Pat Evans can’t stand each other.
But they came together in the vision to help Nigel — and luckily for actors Shaun and Pam St Clement it is a different story in real life.
He says: “It was just Nigel, Pat and his ex-wife, Debbie, who was played by Nicola Duffett.
“It was just great to be back working with these fabulous actors again.”
However, Shaun admits feeling nervous about returning to Albert Square and says he couldn’t find the new entrance to the studios.
Laughing, he admits: “I was driving around looking for it and I was late.
“But as soon as I got on the set of The Queen Vic, it was magic. It was like I’d never been away.”
Steve McFadden, Barbara Windsor, Mike Reid, Ross Kemp and Shaun Williamson, filming Peggy and Frank’s wedding in 1999Credit: News Group Newspapers
The infamous Dallas shower scene with Patrick Duffy as Bobby EwingCredit: Getty
Shaun, 60, has appeared in TV shows and films including Extras, The Invention Of Lying and Scoop, as well as reality series Celebrity Big Brother, Celebs On The Farm and Celebrity 5 Go Barging.
But the actor, who is about to take centre stage as panto villain Aba’Barry’Nazer in Aladdin at The Kings Theatre in Portsmouth, rarely watches his own performances even though his wife and manager Adele, tells him when he is on the telly.
He says: “A little while ago I discovered the channel U&Drama was airing every episode of EastEnders right from the start.
“So I fast forwarded to 1994 to when Barry joined.
“It was really weird, such a long time ago but it was better than I remember.
“I’ve carried on and I’m up to 2009.
Fans of Barry will love his return, especially those who have followed Shaun around the country with his Barrioke experience show, because he sings in the soap’s special episode too.
Barrioke, which he launched in 2019, has been a huge success but Shaun reveals to the Sun on Sunday that next year it will be “given a rest” as he hopes to vary his work again.
I would love to do The Masked Singer or I’m A Celeb
Shaun Williamson
He explains: “It has filled my calendar, I’ve had to turn down other offers.
“We’ve got about 80 gigs in the book and then I can give my acting agent another throw of the dice.
“I’m jack of all trades, master of none.
“So I just keep all the balls in the air and hope that the phone keeps going.
“I love it all. I feel very lucky.
“I enjoy doing reality shows as long as it’s not too tacky. I would love to do The Masked Singer or I’m A Celeb.
“It would be horrendous but I’d love the challenge.
“I was asked year after year to do the skating one but people my age get badly injured on that show.
“I miss doing the acting stuff. And I would love to do more soap work, the writing is always brilliant.”
Shaun is also a keen quizzer who has excelled on many TV quiz shows.
Shaun in a Portsmouth production of AladdinCredit: Habibur Rahman/Portsmouth_News
Shaun will be showing off his musical talents in WalfordCredit: BBC
And he and his mum used to love doing crosswords together to “keep the brain ticking over”.
The star says: “I know some actors gamely go on these shows for their charities. But I take it seriously.
“And I’ve been lucky enough to win some of the biggest quizzes on TV: Celebrity Mastermind, The Chase, Pointless . . . I really enjoy it.”
But another of his favourite gigs is always panto, and he is looking forward to taking to the stage in Portsmouth from this Friday until New Year’s Eve.
He says: “I’ve done panto for 21 years. I missed doing it last year because we did Christmas Barrioke.
“I’ll sound cynical now but, although panto helps out with the taxman in January, I love the magic of it — the children genuinely go mad when I’m holding a lamp or threatening a princess.
“And it’s great to be part of a company again.
“You’re together for a couple of months and you have a right laugh.”
It is also good for his health.
Shaun, who walks on his treadmill and lifts weights in his gym, says: “As someone who’s never particularly looked after themselves, it’s a bit of an added health kick. I always drop a few pounds.”
‘SACRAFICE CHRISTMAS’
As well as entertaining the kids at panto, Shaun would love to see his own grandchildren in the audience one day too.
Shaun is a dad of three — Sophie and Joseph from his first marriage and elder son Gary, from a previous relationship who he didn’t know existed until a few years ago.
Gary, 38, works in the pub trade in Leeds, Sophie, 28, is a DJ in Berlin and 25-year-old Joe works in a nuclear power station.
Shaun says: “We’re very close.
“It will just be me and my wife on Christmas Day but they’ll come over for Boxing Day lunch and I’ll drive back to Portsmouth that night.
“I don’t want this to sound ‘poor me’, but you do sacrifice your Christmas if you’re in a panto.
“But I enjoy it because I’m helping to make other people’s Christmases.
“It’s like Christmas every day when the curtain goes up. So on one level, it’s better.
“I would love to be a grandad by now. There isn’t any sign at the moment though.
“My next big buzz in life will be when they bring their children to see me.
“That would be amazing.”
