6 ): ▁Soph ie ▁is ▁a ▁Val ux ian ▁al ien ▁and ▁Brian ' s ▁wife . ▁She ▁has ▁slightly ▁more ▁common ▁sense ▁than ▁Brian ▁but ▁is ▁still ▁quite ▁cl uel ess ▁and ▁easily ▁led ▁after ▁enough ▁persu asion . ▁Un like ▁Brian , ▁she ▁is ▁not ▁good ▁at ▁morph ing ▁and ▁can ▁only ▁do ▁so ▁when ▁e ating ▁ice ▁cre am ; ▁after ▁morph ing ▁into ▁a ▁new ▁shape ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁third ▁series , ▁Soph ie ▁finds ▁she ▁is ▁unable ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁her ▁previous ▁form ▁and ▁dec ides ▁to ▁remain ▁as ▁she ▁is ▁( Car la ▁M end on ça ▁took ▁up ▁the ▁role ). ▁Barbara ▁Dur kin ▁returns ▁as ▁A unt ▁Soph ie ▁in ▁the ▁episode ▁" Thanks ▁for ▁All ▁the ▁Earth w orm ▁C ust ard ". ▁ ▁Series ▁ 1 - 7 : ▁The ▁B ark ers ▁ ▁Mel anie ▁Mel ▁B ark er ▁( Dan ielle ▁McC orm ack ) ▁( 1 9 9 9 – 2 0 0 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 ): ▁Mel ▁is ▁a ▁te en ager ▁who ▁has ▁a ▁sar cast ic ▁person ality ; ▁the ▁oldest ▁of ▁the ▁B ark er ▁children , ▁she ▁has ▁a ▁protect ive ▁and ▁mother ly ▁nature ▁towards ▁her ▁younger ▁sib lings ▁since ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁their ▁parents . ▁Mel ' s ▁difficult ▁attitude ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁pain ▁of ▁losing ▁her ▁parents , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁being ▁moved ▁to ▁and ▁from ▁different ▁fost er ▁homes . ▁Despite ▁her ▁reputation ▁as ▁a