Barbara Owen

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Barbara Owen is a fictional character and supporting antagonist of the British soap opera EastEnders. She appeared as a minor antagonist from 2000 to 2001 before serving as an overarching antagonist in 2002 as well as in 2018-2019 respectively.

The character was portrayed by Sheila Hancock. who also played Helen A in Doctor Who

Biography[]

Barbara Owen was born near Albert Square in Walford, a fictional borough in East London, from 1937; she married a man called Richard and together they produced two children - a daughter named Jackie and a son named Steve. Over the next few decades, Richard passed away and Barbara was left to raise their children on their own; she proved to be an unfit and neglectful mother to the point where she even mistreated Jackie and Steve respectively.

In 2000, Barbara summons Steve to visit her after he refused to do so five years ago. She slapped Steve for this and continued to wind him up before he left. Then in 2001, she recieved an unwelcome invitation to Steve's wedding - as he was set to marry his future wife Mel Healy.

Upon her arrival, she encounted Steve's archenemy Phil Mitchell and the pair bonded over their mutual disliking of Steve. This continued as Barbara claimed to Phil that Steve treated her poorly when she was left to bring him up on her own, whilst Phil told her about how Mel had previously married his stepson Ian Beale for a couple of hours until they broke up. Later on at the wedding reception, Barbara insults Mel and Steve before telling them that she knew about Mel's one-night stand with Phil after he told her about it.

A few months later, Steve visited his mother again to learn that she was dying. They parted ways on bad terms, however, after Barbara continued to insult Steve before attempting to kiss him incestuously; he left her flat in disgust. The next day, Barbara passed away and Steve was informed by Mel about this; he ignored the issue before putting his focus on helping Phil frame their common enemy, Dan Sullivan, for Phil's shooting that occured back on the night of Steve's wedding. Steve later explained to Mel the truth about his mother and how he became the villain he was because of what she put him and Jackie through over the years.

Following Steve's death in 2002, Mel accepted that Barbara was to blame for his upbringing; soon she told her and Steve's son, Hunter, about this when they visited Steve's grave in 2018 and thereupon Mel told Hunter that Barbara was a horrible mother to Steve in the first place.

Trivia[]

She made a total of 3 or more appearences during her time on the show.

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