Samantha Giles is in her fourth Emmerdale stint as Bernice Blackstock (Picture: ITV)
Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles) has become something of an Emmerdale icon over the past couple of decades.
The character has been in and out of the Dales since 1998, but returned for the fourth time back in 2021 with a storyline which saw her attempt to stop Liam (Jonny McPherson) from marrying Leyla (Roxy Shahidhi). Her return has also seen her face challenges such as dealing with menopause and her nephew sharing a nude photo of her which was seen by the whole village.
More recently Bernice teamed up with Bob (Tony Audenshaw) to take over the B&B after Eric (Chris Chittell) announced that he was selling up – with the pair forming a surprising connection along the way.
Working together has seen Bernice and Bob form a surprising connection, which is developing right in the middle of a separate affair storyline involving Bob’s partner, Wendy (Susan Cookson) and Liam – and which could see her fall prey to temptation when Bob learns about Wendy’s fling.
With that in mind, could events be spiralling to a point where Bernice will leave the Dales once again?
Here’s what you need to know…
Is Bernice Blackstock leaving Emmerdale?
It’s been revealed that we will be bidding farewell to Bernice Blackstock for the fourth time as Samantha Giles once again quits the soap.
Although the exact date of her departure has yet to be confirmed, she’ll reportedly make her exit later this year – as the actress has done so many times before when she goes to work on other projects.
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‘Bernice Blackstock has been in and out of the Emmerdale village more than they change the barrels at The Woolpack!’, a source told The Sun.
‘She’s always welcomed back with open arms by ITV and fans alike, but it’s now becoming a bit of a running joke. It wouldn’t pay to bet on whether Samantha will one day be back, but for now she will leave the soap later this year.’
It’s since been revealed that the actress will be stepping into panto land over the festive period – appearing as the Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella at the Bradford Alhambra.
Bernice has forged an unexpected connection with Bob recently (Picture: ITV)
She is set to star alongside Strictly Come Dancing finalist John Whaite as Dandini, and Bradford panto legend Billy Pearce as Buttons – with the actress saying she is ‘beyond excited’ to be a part of the cast.
The show runs from December 9 until January 21 2024, promising audiences ‘laugh-out-loud comedy, stunning scenery, beautiful costumes and plenty of boos and hisses’.
When was Samantha previously in Emmerdale?
Samantha first appeared as Bernice in 1998, staying in the Dales until 2002.
She returned in 2004 and again in 2012 until 2019, before her current comeback.
Speaking about her return in 2021 and pursuing her love for other projects, Samantha said: ‘As an actress leaving a role that you love is always a hard decision and I’d been lucky to work so consistently for so long which is rare in our business, so I knew the time had come to be brave and take the leap back in 2019 to pursue my other passion of writing and focus on getting my first book published.
‘I’ve now had such a lovely response with Rosemary and The Witches of Pendle Hill and the down time of the pandemic meant I was able to complete my next two books. I’m a big believer in fate so when Emmerdale offered me the chance to return as Bernice I took it as a sign that it was meant to be.’
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She’s on her fourth stint in the Dales.
