Mike Barnes is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Tony Hirst.

[3] The character briefly returned in August 2016 and again in March 2017, where his youngest daughter Amy Barnes (Ashley Slanina-Davies) was killed off in a "whodunit" storyline.

He returned again in September 2017 giving evidence against Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) during Amy's murder trial.

I need a new challenge, I need to play different characters, and it would be very easy for me to stay there for a long period of time and I don't think that would be any good to anybody.

It also fitted in with the timing of the storyline of Sarah's death and Kathy being continually sectioned and Amy growing up.

"[3] When asked whether his decision was based on lack of storylines, Hirst stated: "I'd be lying if that wasn't part of the reason but in fairness I always said to Bryan [Kirkwood] and to Lucy [Alan] that I'd rather have quality than quantity.

A loyal and devoted husband and father, Mike's relaxed and easygoing attitude to life leads to his being a constant irritant to his wife Kathy, and early storylines involving the couple see Mike trying to calm Kathy down when she throws tantrums at him.

Mike is oblivious to the fact that Kathy has slept with Sarah's boyfriend Rhys Ashworth (Andrew Moss).

However the truth over Leah's maternity is announced in a local tabloid thanks to Michaela McQueen (Hollie-Jay Bowes).

Mike supports Sarah when she finds out her fiancé Craig Dean (Guy Burnet) is having an affair with John Paul McQueen (James Sutton).

Sarah befriends fellow student Zoe Carpenter (Zoë Lister) and lets her move into the Barnes family home.

Ste enters the Barnes household to borrow a heater and he catches, and films, Mike and Zoe sleeping together.

Ste reveals Mike and Zoe's relationship at Leah's first birthday party by sending the clip of the pair to Amy and Sarah.

Mike turns Michaela down gently and tells her that she is beautiful and will make someone a great girlfriend one day.

Initially not wanting anything to do with either of them, Mike seems to forgive his former girlfriend before his daughter, even going so far as to briefly seek to rekindle their relationship.

Mike goes to Zoe's lecturer Adrian Kennedy (Richard Lawrence) and informs him of her deceit, she then fails her course.

Michaela, her mother Myra (Nicole Barber-Lane) and sister Jacqui McQueen (Claire Cooper) temporarily move in to with Mike and Sarah after an infestation of rats in their house.

After Lucas' (William Hall) birth, Amy left to stay with her grandmother, leaving Ste to look after him.

Abi (Elaine Glover) and Daniel Raven (Chris Hargreaves) befriend Ste but secretly plan to steal Lucas.

Once he returns home, he informs Sarah's friend Hannah Ashworth (Emma Rigby) of her death.

Mike, Charlotte Lau (Amy Yamazaki) and Dave Colburn (Elliot James Langridge) rush to the cemetery after finding a suicide note.

Mike apologises to Zoe in hospital, where she recovers, and he is angry at Charlotte for keeping Lydia's secret.

In May 2018, Ste calls Mike and explains to him what happened to Lucas and Leah, and he is upset when he finds out that Ryan killed Amy.

When Mike's relationship with Zoe began, there was some controversy over the storyline, due to the age gap between the pair.