[1] Williamson left the serial after nine years in 2003 after agreeing to star in a seasonal pantomime without informing EastEnders producers,[2] and the character was killed off.

[4] The biggest storyline involving Barry and Natalie in 1999 was their joint double wedding with the characters Ian Beale and Melanie Healy (Adam Woodyatt and Tamzin Outhwaite) - the lead up to which included a hen/stag night celebration episode, which was filmed on-location in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The episode evoked criticism by the Broadcasting Standards Commission for its inclusion of “almost relentless drunken and promiscuous behaviour, sexual innuendo and drug-taking, before the watershed”, which included Natalie having to acquire three love bites from strangers.

[5] The BBC defended the episode, claiming that its content would have “come as no surprise to viewers” and adding that the depiction of this behaviour conformed to an EastEnders tradition - that questionable conduct "only leads to further trouble…One character's quest for drugs led to embarrassment and nausea and a drinking binge led to the calling off of [Barry and Natalie’s] wedding while the prospects for another became bleaker.

"[6] Natalie and Barry's screen wedding was featured as part of the Millennium Eve episodes, which drew in 20.89 million viewers – the biggest soap audience since the character Tiffany Mitchell (Martine McCutcheon) was killed off in EastEnders precisely one year earlier (New Year's Eve 1998).

Viewers saw a “devastated Barry” react badly to the news in a special extended four-hander episode (written by Christopher Reason and directed by Clive Arnold) – the episode had a maternal theme with the action flitting between Barry and Natalie's saga and scenes between Steve Owen and his dying mother, which included revelations of child abuse and incest.

The scenes between Natalie and Barry have been described as some of “the most powerful moments in soap, with the couple battling to decide the fate of their unborn baby”.

[10] On-screen Natalie's plan to abscond with Ricky was thwarted by Barry's discovery of the affair, leading to a public confrontation between the three protagonists.

Barry later helps Cindy escape the UK when she is wanted by the police for the attempted murder of her husband, Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt).

Upon his release, Barry is entrusted by Roy to run the car lot on Albert Square while he enjoys retirement: the business is renamed Evans & Son.

Losing his job at the car lot, Barry is forced to seek employment elsewhere and he uses malicious means to replace Robbie Jackson (Dean Gaffney) as manager of the local film rental shop.

Natalie moves in with Barry, Roy and Pat and they marry in a millennium double wedding with Ian and Mel Healy (Tamzin Outhwaite).

However, Barry promises to help out with the baby duties so Natalie can keep working and in 2002 Jack (Samuel and Joseph Timson) is born.

When Natalie grows weary of marriage to Barry, she begins an affair with her former lover Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen).

His employee Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks), sensing an opportunity to make money, starts manipulating Barry.

After Janine was arrested for Laura Beale (Hannah Waterman)'s murder, Natalie finds Barry's cremation urn and pours the ashes into the tree.

In 2020, Sara Wallis and Ian Hyland from The Daily Mirror placed Barry 38th on their ranked list of the Best EastEnders characters of all time, calling him a "Total Mug" who "was duped by a conwoman, dumped by wife Natalie and fell for gold digger Janine, who left him to die after he fell off a cliff in 2004.

"[13] In 2002 the character was featured in a spoof of the Michael Jackson hit video, Thriller, which was made as part of the annual fund-raising event, Children in Need.

On 20 January 2017, EastEnders actor Jake Wood and Channel 4 posted a satirical video showing "Barry" singing (Something Inside) So Strong at the inauguration of President Donald Trump on Twitter.

[17] In March 2020, Jade Thirlwall, English singer and songwriter, and member of the British girl group Little Mix, appeared in a FaceTime interview on Capital FM's Breakfast Show, wearing a 'Barry' t-shirt.