natalie evans (also price) is played by lucy speed between 1994 and 2004. natalie first appears in januarye 1994, depicted initially as an unhappy, insecure teenager; she was among various regular characters brought in to increase the cast following the bbc's decision to increase episode output to 3 per week. she features most often with the characters ricky butcher (sid owen) and bianca jackson (patsy palmer); natalie's affair with ricky ending his relationship with bianca was one of the prominent storylines aired in the winter of 1995. despite producers offering to extend speed's contact, she opted to leave the serial in 1995. executive producer matthew robinson reintroduced the character in 1999 as a business woman and a love interest for barry evans (shaun williamson). speed left once again in 2004, with natalie departing in the wake of barry's murder by janine butcher (charlie brooks).