QUEEN of mean Tracy Barlow has left viewers with their jaws dropped to the floor more than once while in Weatherfield.
But in recent years, the Coronation Street florist has grown tamer than necessary. Here’s why she should go back to her old tricks.
Tracy Barlow has been one of Corrie’s longest-standing residents
A mean girl we all loved to hate
For as long as I could remember, mean girls have always been fascinating to me from their bold and insufferable shells to their sensitive and vulnerable inner cores.
And while most if not all my generation still remember Regina George as one of the most memorable villains, Tracy Barlow has always come first in my eyes.
The iconic character was first introduced as a sensitive young child who had many disagreements with her mother Deirdre, particularly as the chain-smoking stalwart embarked on an affair with Mike Baldwin, which completely destroyed her marriage with Ken Barlow.
Time went by and Tracy eventually found love in the form of Robert Preston with the couple tying the knot and moving away to London.
But after six years away from the ITV soap, a soon-to-be divorced Tracy Barlow returned, taking centre stage as one of the biggest villains in Corrie history.
A sharp-tongued man eater, lying, cheating and scheming had become some of her biggest skills.
Tracy had first been played by three different actresses, Christabel Finch (1977-1983) Holly Chamarette (1985-1988) and Dawn Acton (1988-1999).
But when she returned to the cobbles, Kate Ford had reprised the role and she was clearly here to stay.
The troublemaker immediately wreaked havoc in Steve McDonald’s life following their one-night-stand which resulted in the birth of her daughter Amy – who she often used as a pawn in her schemes.
This caused immense strain in his relationship and marriage with Karen Phillips.
After ruining their wedding by announcing Steve was the father of her daughter, Tracy eventually had the last laugh as Karen had no other choice but to leave the cobbles after being pushed to the end of her tether.
She also decided to play her mind games on beloved couple Roy and Hayley Cropper by initially claiming that the café owner was the father of her daughter.
Tracy’s transphobic tirade to Hayley, which was followed by a slapping match between both women, made my blood boil, even as a kid who really should have been doing her homework.
However, when Tracy embarked on a relationship with reputed misogynist Charlie Stubbs, I couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for her.
After playing with every insecurity that would plague her enemies, Tracy was the one being constantly brought down by a womanising and mentally abusive partner.
While it was once satisfying to see her get a taste of her own medicine, Tracy’s ordeal clearly made her feel less confident and heartbroken – until Claire Peacock convinced her to take a stand.
This prompted her to come with a horrific plan that is now part of the soap’s long history.
In shocking scenes, and like the villain she is, Tracy Barlow gave Charlie one last lap dance as he tried to kick her and Amy out of his home – before bludgeoning him with a heavy metal ornament.
Charlie was rushed to hospital with Tracy claiming self-defence, but the builder eventually drew his last breath, leading to her being charged with murder.
While Charlie’s behaviour with women and their constant arguing played in her favour, Tracy was horrified when a young David Platt decided to testify in her favour.
David claimed to have seen Charlie abuse Tracy as revenge for the builder trying to drown him, but she was convinced he was lying.
Once again, Tracy was confronted with somebody else’s schemes when David admitted his intention of blackmailing her for sex – which she agreed to.
Unfortunately, everything went downhill for Tracy during her trial as her mother Deirdre (who knew she had murdered Charlie in cold blood) broke down while testifying and David’s arrogant behaviour turned the jury against him.
Tracy was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison, making her eligible for parole in 2022.
The storyline kept me up in the evenings with Tracy being the main character I wanted to see wreak havoc in the cobbles.
A true and unstoppable mean girl, I loved to hate Tracy Barlow and was sad to see her go in April, 2007.
But three years later, she was finally brought back to Corrie with Kate Ford ready to reprise the role once again and I caught myself looking forward to seeing her – yes, even at fifteen years old.
However, when Tracy was reintroduced to us viewers, I realised she would never be the same villain I’d grown unexpectedly attached to as she made up for her past mistakes.
A slow and bland redemption
In 2010, Tracy came back following the death of her grandmother Blanche and she found a new enemy in the form of Becky Granger.
Their scrap during Blanche’s funeral, as Tracy was allowed to visit for the occasion, had me at the edge of my seat as I knew that trouble was finally going to rock the cobbles again.
Tracy then targeted Gail Platt who had been thrown in the slammer for the murder of her own partner, Joe McIntyre and, once again, she did not disappoint.
I was elated to see Tracy walk back into life in Weatherfield at Christmas, becoming a lone wolf as her past actions meant she had very little friends.
What followed was a plot for Tracy to get custody of Amy back from Steve and she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty with Becky.
The scheming, blackmail and snarky comments continued as Tracy and Becky’s feud became increasingly explosive (although we all knew the latter would win in a scrap).
Tracy’s games with Becky and Claire Peacock – who both left Corrie either drained or on the run because of her causing trouble – left me fuming, wondering how somebody could be so evil.
But this meant I was hooked, ready to see what Tracy would be up to next as she became a highlight during my trips to soapland.
However, just as I thought Tracy was back to her old tricks and would cause more shake-ups in the cobbles, writers decided it was time for her to throw in the towel and settle down, which I was not happy about.
Tracy began standing on the side-lines of all the drama, particularly during her engagement to equally villainous Rob Donovan as she was blind to his underhanded ways and treacherous nature.
Dumbed-down and increasingly bland, Tracy disappointed me even further when she set Victoria Court ablaze in 2015 and showed remorse as Carla Connor struggled with her survivor’s guilt following the deaths of Kal Nazir and Maddie Heath.
Things only got worse when she fell into a trap set up by an incarcerated Rob Donovan – who was this character and what had they done to the real Tracy?
The real Tracy would have never been so blind to Rob’s tricks and she would have never had a conscience loud enough to make her regret her actions.
Unfortunately, it slowly became clear to me that Tracy’s character development meant she would know a fate worse than being killed off – becoming a prop for other storylines to unravel.
Why we need the old Tracy
The term “villain era” has taken the world by storm in recent years, most notably encouraging women to embrace their inner femme fatale and go against gender stereotypes.
Ironically, “femme fatale” is one of the only terms I could use to describe the Tracy I learned to love and hate at the same time.
In more recent years, Tracy quietened down, going into her own business, focusing on raising her daughter and doing an amazing job at protecting and supporting Amy through thick and thin.
Most of Tracy’s life from 2017 onwards has revolved around becoming a better person with her even taking the blame for Rob Donovan after he escaped prison – something the old Tracy would never have done.
Her vengeful streak often made an appearance as Steve McDonald, who she’d finally managed to pin down, couldn’t stay faithful to her but in my eyes, Tracy Barlow as I’d known her was gone.
Meanwhile, other villains walked into Coronation Street, settling down to instil fear on whoever would go against them before leaving with their tail between their legs, but none have ever really been a match for Tracy Barlow.
Last year, viewers were introduced to failed businessman turned serial killer Stephen Reid who is keeping them on their toes.
But over on social media, many are tired of his storyline and are begging bosses to put a stop to it in a plethora of heated comments.
“Coronation Street is just gone so stupid… seriously the Stephen storyline is old and boring.. switching off now at this stage”, one viewer recently penned.
Another agreed: “Why don’t we stop watching until they kill him off? It’s not fair on us loyal viewers. If the viewings drop, they’ll have to do something.”
“Get Stephen either killed off or brought to justice!”
“FFS this Stephen crap really is beyond a joke. Gives ridiculously boring a whole new meaning”, a third jumped in.
This can only mean one thing – we need a true villain who is here to stay in the cobbles.
In defence of Tracy, I believe she kept things exciting as I remember turning on my old TV as a child after school, keen to find out who she’d be winding up, who would strike back and who would have to pay the consequences.
I miss the old Tracy, her feuds, her schemes and her vitriolic comebacks.
But perhaps what’s even more important is how she ended up with Steve McDonald.
By making Tracy and Steve become a couple, and despite their undeniable chemistry, writers have stopped the cabbie from evolving and becoming a better person.
Throughout his time in Weatherfield, Steve was linked to some of Corrie’s strongest women from Becky Granger to Michelle Connor, all of which kept him accountable and forced him to grow up.
I watched Tracy and Steve get together with a slight eyebrow raise – what kind of man would give her another chance after everything she’d put him through?
None of Steve and Tracy’s union makes sense to me and while some may justify this with their daughter Amy, all I can argue back is that Corrie bosses have treated us to better in the past.
More importantly, the cobbles and soap land in general are truly lacking a mean girl to make things more interesting.
EastEnders lost Janine Butcher after Charlie Brooks quit the BBC One show in late 2022.
Earlier that same year, Emmerdale lost its own resident villainess Meena Jutla as Paige Sandhu moved on to new projects and Caleb Milligan, the one I was convinced would take her place, has even been somewhat tamed.
Can Tracy Barlow step back up to the plate for another rise of the mean girl?
Coronation Street airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8pm on ITV.
Tracy was once one of the biggest villains in Corrie
