Kathy Barnes

Hollyoaks Character
Leah Barnes
Played by	Sarah Jane Buckley
Duration	2005- 2008
Date of Birth	21 September 1966/1973
Marital Status	Married
Occupation	Sports Teacher
Family	Mike, Amy, Sarah

Katherine "Kathy" Barnes is a fictional character on the long-running Channel 4 British television soap opera Hollyoaks.

She is played by actress Sarah Jane Buckley.

Character history

In her youth, Kathy was an accomplished swimmer but was forced to abandon her swimming career after falling pregnant at the age of 16/23 (there is another version of this story where she says she was 19 when she fell pregnant). Consequently, when her own daughter Sarah took up swimming, Kathy became obessessed with her daughter’s success, starving her of a social life in the process. When Sarah sought a relationship with Rhys Ashworth, Kathy became convinced that the relationship would thwart her prospects. Ever cold and calculating, she therefore seduced Rhys and blackmailed him into ending the relationship.

For reasons that are unclear Kathy gained seven years in the space of a year (see Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome). At her 40th birthday party, Rhys and Gilly were arguing over Sarah and Gilly accidentally revealed her dalliance with Rhys in front of several stunned guests, including her husband Mike. Consequently she left the family home, however she was unable to find alternative accommodation and therefore returned to the family home. She explained her motives to Mike for her affair; he was disgusted and threw her out of the house. He invited her back for the sake of their children but was unable to forgive her for and left himself. Sarah couldn't stand living with her mother, and moved in with Mike, despite her sister Amy begging her not to go; Amy eventually followed suit. After a while, Kathy and Mike decided to give their marriage another try for the sake of their children, but they are far from blissful.

Kathy Barnes had not been onscreen since Amy's joyriding accident and the following court appearance but made a recent appearance when Amy was in labour. She is pretending that her granddaughter Leah is actually her own daughter, for the sake of preserving the family's reputation. She frequently prevents Amy from bonding with her daughter.

On hearing the news of 'Kathy's' baby being born, certain villagers have insinuated that Rhys is the father as they had an affair from the past. In recent weeks Amy has shown to be forming an attachment to Leah but Kathy, fearing Amy will want to make it public Leah's her daughter and become her full-time mother, has cruelly tried to break the bond that is forming between mother and daughter by interfering whenever Amy tries to change Leah's nappy etc.

When Amy reveals to everyone that she is Leah's mum Kathy is distraught so she kidnaps her grand daughter Leah. She is missing for nearly 2 days when the police find her resting in the park on the swings with Leah. Amy tricks her into handing her over and she gets taken to hospital.

Kathy is to leave the show in 2008.

Family

• Husband: Mike Barnes
• Daughters: Sarah Barnes, Amy Barnes
• Granddaughter: Leah Barnes

Relationships

• Husband: Mike Barnes
• Slept with: Rhys Ashworth

External links

• Kathy Barnes on the Hollyoaks website