Emmerdale’s Bernice Blackstock is set to make her soap return as actress Samantha Giles reprises her role after two years away
Emmerdale is set to air the comeback of Bernice Blackstock as actress Samantha Giles returns to her role following a two year break from the ITV soap.
Bernice made her debut in Emmerdale back in November 1998. Since her initial arrival in the village, Bernice has departed on three separate occasions, with her most recent exit taking place in 2023.
Prior to her departure from the village, Bernice was exposed for securing a loan using her sister Nicola King’s (played by Nicola Wheeler) identity, which led to bailiffs arriving unexpectedly at her residence.
Upon learning it was her sister’s doing, Nicola threatened police involvement, reports the Daily Star.
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Fearing her sibling would file criminal charges, Bernice went underground before arranging a taxi for her getaway, leaving Nicola and her daughter Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham) appalled.
She had second thoughts after Gabby’s criticism and subsequently attempted to justify her actions.
Whilst Bernice ultimately agreed to a deal on her B&B that provided Bob Hope (Tony Audenshaw) with a fresh business associate, she disclosed she was still departing the village after betraying her family’s confidence yet again, devastating her father Rodney (Patrick Mower).
Bernice was taken aback when Bob confessed he would miss her presence, reassuring her that “life’s too short” for bearing grudges.
She subsequently departed the Dales and flew off to begin afresh in Portugal, where she reconciled with her mother, Dianne. Now, two years after Bernice’s dramatic departure, she returns just in time for Gabby’s wedding to Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson).
Beyond being an Emmerdale mainstay for numerous years, Samantha Giles has boasted a stellar television career since 1994, when she first appeared on Coronation Street.
She portrayed Kirsty, Angela Hawthorne’s secretary, for twelve months before departing Weatherfield for good.
During her break from Emmerdale, she featured as nurse Sally Boothe in Where the Heart Is, where she developed a friendship with her Emmerdale colleague Lesley Dunlop whilst filming.
Samantha has a third soap to her name as she featured in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks from 2008 until 2012 as Valerie Holden.
She took over from actress Jacqueline Leonard in the part and featured in the drama-packed programme for 35 episodes.
Witchcraft
During a chat with Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford on This Morning in August 2020, Samantha disclosed she is a practising witch.
Eamonn questioned the soap star: “Now Samantha, you are a witch in real life?”
The mother of two then responded: “Well yes, sort of. It sounds a bit weird to say that, doesn’t it? But I follow Wicca and I do do spells sometimes and I make spells for other people.”
Ruth then enquired: “Where did that all start for you, when did get interested in that? Tell people what a Wiccan witch is.”
Samantha answered: “Wicca – it’s like a religion in one way, it’s a following so it’s mostly about nature and following the natural cycle of the Earth.
“Harnessing the power of nature to use them in spells to manifest things you want to change in your life, perhaps.”
However, she quickly added: “You don’t necessarily have to do spells to follow Wicca.”
This clarification came after she revealed to The Mirror that she used a love spell to meet her husband Sean in 2005.
Love life
In 2010, white witch Samantha married Sean after casting a love spell.
Speaking to OK! in 2020, she said: “I met him three months after the spell. It’s about things being aligned. Sometimes people say to me, ‘I put this thought out there and it didn’t work!’ But sometimes things aren’t in the right place so you have to let them go until it’s time.”
She further explained the spell to the Mirror, stating she uses candles and crystals to facilitate spells and writes down exactly what she wants.
“I wrote down exactly what I was after. Then I met Sean and he was exactly what I had written,” she said. “It’s as if he appeared by magic! You have to be very specific about what you’re looking for, and one thing I forgot to put down was for him to be older than me. I put taller, as well as details about his personality and morality.”
She continued: “Then when I met Sean and we started seeing each other, he was two-and-a-half years younger than me. I thought, ‘This feels a bit weird’, but it didn’t take me long to get over it.”
Samantha isn’t just a gifted actress, she’s also carved out a successful career as a children’s author. She has published two books titled Rosemary and The Witches of Pendle Hill and Rosemary and the Book of the Dead.
Emmerdale airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX
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