EastEnders legend Shaun Williamson’s tragic reason for returning to hit BBC show

Soap star Shaun Williamson bid farewell to Albert Square in 2004, but is now confirmed to be making a return — but the reasons why he has decided to come back are heartbreaking

Shaun Williamson has admitted why he is making a return to EastEnders more than two decades after leaving the soap behind. It was confirmed that his iconic character Barry Evans will be making a shocking return to Albert Square next month.

Back in 2004, actor Shaun said goodbye to EastEnders after Barry was pushed off a cliff, sending him to his apparent death at the hands of evil wife Janine Butcher. However, he is set to make a comeback as a guest in a special episode to be aired next month.

Now, Shaun has revealed just why he has decided to come back to the show, despite being killed off 20 years ago. He had admitted the reasons are quite heartbreaking, as he is set to appear in a vision seen by Nigel Bates.

As Nigel’s dementia begins to worsen, he is set to see “Barry” in one of his hallucinations, but in an interview with the Sun, actor Shaun said he has personally been touched by dementia. He revealed that his darling mum Irene bravely battled the condition before tragically passing three years ago.

He said about the decision to return: “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. “I was shocked to be asked, but genuinely thrilled.”

Shaun watched on as Irene bravely fought against the disease, and admitted that the pandemic was a particularly tough time for her, as she was forced inside and unable to have any kind of social interaction. The family tried their best to keep her going, but a fatal stroke eventually caused her to lose her life at the age of 87, leaving the family heartbroken.

“I wanted to raise awareness because in 30 to 40 years’ time it’s predicted that dementia cases will have doubled,” Shaun said. “That’s a frightening thought.”

Shaun has consistently said he would be open to a return in some form, despite being fully killed off by BBC bosses. However, it was thought to be “impossible” due to the fact that Janine had Barry’s body cremated in Scotland, with his ashes being brought back by the legendary Pat Butcher.

While he insisted he would not see a “Dallas-style” return to the soap, Shaun was thrilled to have some role in the show, even after his character’s death. He also gave some hints as to how his final scenes on the show will play out for viewers.

“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,” he recalled. “It’s beautifully written.”

The vision sees Barry, Pat and Nigel’s ex-wife Debbie come together to help Nigel, who is fighting back against his diagnosis, trying to live the best of his life by himself. Actor Shaun said it was a pleasure to be working with his BBC co-stars once again, if only just for one episode.

But ahead of the episode’s release, Shaun had an awkward moment when he accidentally could not get into the studios after a new entrance was installed. He joked that he had spent some time trying to find it, so much so that he was late for his call time.

“But as soon as I got on the set of The Queen Vic, it was magic,” Shaun said. “It was like I’d never been away.”

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