The Madame Blanc Mysteries: Who is Jean's nemesis Barbara, why is she in prison, and who plays her?
The character first appeared in series 1
The Madame Blanc Mysteries is back with series 5 this month, and it delivers amateur sleuth Jean White an unwelcome reminder of her nemesis Barbara.
As the cosy crime returns (Thursday, October 29) with new episodes, fans can expect plenty of murder mysteries, whodunits, and puzzles to solve. But there’s also some less grisly events as Jean and Dom prepare to tie the knot… But nothing can prepare them for the “unexpected obstacles” standing in their way.
Across the series, a body is discovered in one of the show’s most iconic locations, Uncle Patrick hosts the pub quiz of the century at La Couronne, and Judith and Jeremy face a heart-wrenching dilemma. As the bodies continue to pile up, one question remains: will Jean and Dom finally make it down the aisle?
As The Madame Blanc Mysteries series 5 kicks off with episode 1, Sainte Victoire’s Chief of Police André Caron has bad news for Jean White about Barbara. But why is she important, how did she end up in jail, and who plays her?
Here’s everything you need to know about the role of Jean’s nemesis Barbara in The Madame Blanc Mysteries.
***Warning: spoilers from episode three ahead***
What happened to Jean White’s husband?
In episode 1 of series 1, viewers met antiques dealer Jean White who arrived in France to uncover the mystery of her husband Rory’s death…
The pair ran a successful antiques business in Cheshire, and Rory travelled to France regularly. He stayed in their cottage in Sainte Victoire, a small village famous as a hub for antiques. Before he boarded the flight back to England, Rory called Jean to show her the gift he’d bought for her – a ruby and diamond ring.
However, Rory didn’t make it back to London, having been killed in a car accident. Naturally, Jean was devastated when Rory died. Even more so when she subsequently discovered that all of their money had disappeared, their shop had been re-mortgaged to the hilt and their assets had been pawned off…
Jean travelled to Sainte Victoire in the south of France to get answers. And she discovered that the ring was not among Rory’s possessions. Someone had taken the ring and likely murdered Rory.
Who is Barbara in The Madame Blanc Mysteries?
Barbara is an important historical character in The Madame Blanc Mysteries. She made her first appearance in the very first episode of the cosy crime. During Jean’s flight to France, a grieving Jean was comforted by English ex-pat Barbara, an estate agent, who agreed to help sell Jean’s French cottage, the one thing she had left.
As Jean investigated her husband’s death in the seemingly sleepy town, she met Chief Caron, who inadvertently gave Jean more catastrophic news – Rory had another woman! And it turned out to be the mysterious woman staling Jean all over the village…
Yes, you’ve guessed it, we later discovered that Barbara was the secret second wife of Jean White’s late husband, Rory. Hunting for clues about her husband’s double life, Jean soon got an answer of sorts… Rory’s other woman left a bunch of poisonous flowers on Jean’s doorstep with a note gloating about killing Rory for the ring. The note told Jean to watch her back… It was Barbara’s first attack on Jean’s life.
Of course, we later discovered that Barbara wanted revenge against Jean. She harboured a deep, lingering resentment toward Jean for being Rory’s primary wife.
Barbara returned in series 2. In the series 2 finale, Barbara’s vendetta came to a head when she plotted to burn down Jean’s antique shop.. She eventually confessed to murdering Rory using an antique lighter, and then staging it as a car accident. She also targeted Jean, attempting to kill her using combustive linseed oil.
Where is Barbara now? Why is she in prison?
Jean White’s nemesis Barbara is now in prison for the murder of Jean’s husband Rory White, and her attempted murder of Jean.
In series 5, we discover that they have added time onto her sentence for her involvement in the attempted museum bombing. But Jean is horrified to hear it’s just 12 months.
Although she orchestrated the entire thing, she physically did not do anything. Barbara is now under “stricter observation”.
In The Madame Blanc Mysteries Christmas Special 2025, entitled A Mystery at the Museum, Jean investigated an attempted museum bombing. A ticking bomb had been hidden inside the rare Marie Antoinette Ormolu box, and it could had killed dozens – if not hundreds – of people. She later discovered that it was orchestrated by her nemesis Barbara from jail.
During a jailhouse interrogation twist at the end of the special, Jean discovered that Barbara masterminded the deadly event because of her ongoing obsession and malice toward Jean…
Although behind bars, Barbara won’t give up on getting revenge against Jean.
Who played Barbara in The Madame Blanc Mysteries?
Olivia Caffrey plays recurring character and antagonist Barbara in The Madame Blanc Mysteries. She is a force of nature, and Jean’s main antagonist, and continues to plot her downfall.
The character first appeared in episode 1 of series 1 in 2021, and appeared in four our of six of those episodes. She was back in four episodes of series 2, causing havoc.
In 2025’s Christmas special, she appeared from behind bars. But it’s likely we’ll see more of her in the future…
Irish actress Olivia Caffrey is a jobbing actress who has been on our screens ever since 1996. That year, she portrayed Meryl Sharp in the TV drama The Governor. She subsequently starred as Jane Wetherby in The Unknown Soldier, Kate Howard in Playing the Field, Tamsin in Coupling, and Cathy in Trivia.
She even popped up as a Paediatric Consultant in several episodes of Coronation Street in 2020.
Read more: The Madame Blanc Mysteries filming locations and if Sainte Victoire is real
