Samantha Giles reveals whether she’ll return to Emmerdale following Bernice exit

Emmerdale left viewers in tears all across the nation last night as mainstay Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles) departed the village.

The unlucky-in-love beautician’s happy ending was imminent, as she prepared to marry love of her life Liam (Jonny McPherson). However, daughter Dee Dee later received a call, and was left devastated by what she’d heard.

Bernice was left shell-shocked to discover that Dee Dee’s dad has been in an accident and is in intensive care.

As she deliberated over what to do for the best, she ultimately decided to put her daughter before her own happiness, and thus — after bidding adieu to Diane (Elizabeth Estensen), Nicola (Nicola Wheeler) and man of her dreams Liam — she got in a taxi with Dee Dee and left Emmerdale behind.

Viewers knew that actress Samantha Giles would be departing, so Bernice’s exit wasn’t exactly a surprise, but that didn’t make it any less heart-breaking.

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Speaking about her emotional exit during an appearance on This Morning, actress Samantha said: ‘No, I didn’t cry, I did so much crying on the filming. I don’t like watching myself – I did watch last night just to close the door on it.’

Elaborating on her decision to leave the soap, she told Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langford: ‘I just felt it was the right time, thinking about it for a couple of years, I got itchy feet, I want to do some other stuff, play something more gritty.’

Speaking about whether or not she minded if her character had been killed off, she said: ‘I said I don’t mind what they did, I wouldn’t’ have minded if they did, I don’t think you can ask to leave and then say ‘don’t kill me off’ but they wanted to leave it open.’

Of course, long-time Emmerdale viewers will know that this isn’t the first time Samantha’s left the soap, so could we perhaps see a return for Bernice in the future?

Samantha said: ‘Never say never but for now the door is closed.’

Emmerdale continues Friday 29th November at 7pm on ITV.