Samantha Giles quits role as Bernice Blackstock in Emmerdale

Samantha Giles is leaving her role as Bernice Blackstock in Emmerdale.

According to reports, Bernice will depart the village later this year but the door will be left open for Giles to return again if she wishes to.

The actress has had four stints on the show and three exits since making her debut as Bernice in 1998.

A source told The Sun:

“Bernice has been in and out of the village more than they change the barrels at The Woolpack. She’s always welcomed back with open arms by ITV and fans alike. She will be leaving the soap again later this year.”

Giles was awarded the Best Actress gong at the TV Quick Awards in 2000 for her portrayal of Bernice, whose disastrous love life has seen her involved in several dramatic storylines. The actress left the soap in 2002 after an initial four-year-stint, before returning briefly in 2004 and then between 2012-2019. She returned again in 2021.

In an interview with Inside Soap, Giles recently admitted that she had opted to play Bernice in a ‘ditzy’ manner to balance out a bitchy side that had crept into the character.

“When I came back, they started writing her as a bit bitchy. I thought, ‘No, this isn’t right’, so I introduced a bit of ditziness to try and avoid taking her down that road,”

“You do have to protect elements of your character while also being willing to evolve.”

Between stints in the Dales, the actress played the role of Valerie Holden in Hollyoaks from 2008 until 2010.

Giles has also penned a children’s book Rosemary and the Witches of Pendle Hill.