Bernice Blackstock

[alan45]

Emmerdale's Bernice Blackstock is left humiliated next week after an experiment with online dating goes badly wrong.

Bernice is delighted when she makes contact with a potential love interest called Anton over the internet, but as she grows closer to the newcomer, she is blissfully unaware that she is falling for a con…

Here, Samantha Giles - who plays Bernice - previews her character's horror as she finds herself in an embarrassing predicament.

How does Bernice feel about getting back into dating?
"Bernice is quite keen - she's actually pretty desperate to meet somebody! She's also a bit nervous about it, because Nicola has tried to set her up with a few different things that haven't really worked. This is the last attempt to get Bernice back out there, so she's nervous about it but also quite excited."

What can you tell us about Anton, who Bernice meets on the internet?
"Nicola does the whole internet profile thing for Bernice, and then Anton is just someone who comes up and is interested in meeting with her. Bernice is quite shocked by how gorgeous his picture is. He seems to tick all the boxes and seems to be a really nice guy. Bernice is quite excited that he wants to take her out."

Does Bernice realise that Nicola wants her to meet a man so that she'll move out?
"No, she doesn't realise that Nicola and Jimmy have got an ulterior motive! She just thinks that Nicola is trying to make up for the fact that she's given her such terrible advice - especially telling her that James was interested in her when he clearly wasn't."


© ITV
Bernice tries online dating

How does Bernice's first date with Anton go?
"It goes really well. She can't believe how lovely he is. He's a real gentleman and he seems very interested in her. He's also very keen to make arrangements to see her again."

When does Bernice finally realise that Anton is a crook?
"Bernice stupidly brings Anton to her house when she doesn't really know him, and it's only their second or third date. She doesn't realise that she's in any danger until she's left in a compromising position and Anton doesn't come back. He just disappears."

What happens?
"Bernice is in a terrible panic. She's been handcuffed to the bed, so she can't physically get out of the room. She doesn't know where Anton has gone, so as time goes on, she worries quite a lot. Bernice is then quite relieved when she hears Jimmy and Nicola come back."

How does Bernice feel when Jimmy and Nicola find her in that position?
"She's mortified. She hears them come in and calls for help, but then she has that moment of waiting for them to come into the room and it's really humiliating."


© ITV
Nicola and Jimmy find an embarrassed Bernice

Then Bernice realises that Anton has burgled the house…
"Yes, she had no idea. She's a bit dozy really! Bernice just thought that he'd gone, but she didn't realise for a minute that it was all a plan to burgle the place. Bernice is totally shocked, she feels totally used and she is completely humiliated."

How do Nicola and Jimmy react?
"They are furious! They're furious because Bernice has gone into their bedroom rather than her own room, as she was pretending it was hers. They also can't believe she'd be so stupid to put herself in this sort of situation with a man she doesn't know. He could have done anything, so she's quite lucky that the burglary is all that's happened."

Could this be the last straw when it comes to Bernice living there?
"It could have been, but Bernice insists on calling the police no matter how stupid she looks. She is determined that she's going to rectify the situation somehow. She knows that she's got nowhere else to go if they chuck her out."


© ITV
Jimmy, Nicola and Bernice

What do the police make of the crime?
"The policeman just thinks it's all quite funny, really. That makes Bernice feel terrible. The police don't really want to know, because they can't really do anything. He just says, 'Well if you go internet dating, here are a few tips for safety'. The police aren't prepared to do anything because there'd be too much detective work involved and there are bigger crimes to solve. They're also told that they can't claim on the insurance."

What dating advice would you give to Bernice?
"I would just say to her that she's got to calm down and not be quite so desperate, because it's so obvious when you're desperate when you meet a guy."

Is there anyone in the village you think Bernice would be well-suited to?
"Funnily enough, Mark Charnock (Marlon) and I were talking about this as we've been working together for a few days. There's not very many people you can imagine Bernice with, because she's quite a strange character in some ways. We were saying that everybody is already paired up!

"If he was single, Mark thought Bernice would go quite well with Paddy. We also wondered what kind of couple Marlon and Bernice would have made if they'd both been single. But other than those two, I can't really think of who she'd work with!"

[Perdita]

Emmerdale's Bernice Blackstock is back to her feisty best next week as she clashes with Tracy Shankley after the scheming character becomes a live-in housekeeper at the King household.

In real life, Samantha Giles - who plays Bernice - has more serious matters on her mind as she has taken on the Live Below The Line charity challenge to raise money for Health Poverty Action. Participants in the project feed themselves on just £1 a day for five days to gain an insight into the hardships faced by those living in extreme poverty.

Digital Spy recently caught up with Samantha for a chat about Bernice's current storylines and her off-screen fundraising efforts.

Why do Bernice and Tracy end up fighting next week?
"Bernice is furious to have Tracy around. She just thinks that Tracy has an ulterior motive and is taking advantage of Jimmy. Bernice also wants to be the main female in the house while Nicola is away.

"Bernice is furious with Tracy anyway, because Tracy had a fling with Andy recently. Bernice thinks that Tracy took advantage of Andy when he was in a very vulnerable state after Katie's death, so she hasn't got off to a good start with her anyway. Then she sees Tracy wearing an identical cardigan to one that she has. Bernice goes absolutely mad and thinks that Tracy has nicked it, so they have a bit of a fight!"

Did you enjoy filming the fight with Amy Walsh, who plays Tracy?
"It was hilarious! We were laughing and then Nick Miles who plays Jimmy had to jump on top of us to separate us, so it was good fun. They always have Bernice fighting, don't they? She has so many fights!"

Bernice and Tracy fight with each other
© ITV
Bernice and Tracy fight with each other

Is it strange not having your on-screen sister Nicola Wheeler on set at the moment while she's off on maternity leave?
"Yeah, we really miss her actually! What's nice is that she does come on Skype in one of the scenes next week. It's something that they recorded before Nicola went off on her maternity leave, but it's really nice to see her on screen again.

"I also visited Nicola last week and saw her in the flesh with the baby, so that was really nice. She'll be back at some point but we do miss her at the moment."

There have been lots of rumours about the big summer storyline coming up in Emmerdale. Do you know whether you'll be involved yet?
"I've no idea at the moment - it's all been kept hush-hush, actually. I think we're filming it mid-June, so I imagine we'll know fairly soon. We'll certainly know by the end of May. I assume that nothing awful is going to happen to Bernice, because I haven't been told anything!

"I know that it's going to be a big extravaganza and it'll be very exciting and thrilling to watch. I hope I am involved, because obviously it's terrible if something really exciting is going on and you're not part of it, but we'll have to see!"

There were rumours in the papers that the cast are nervous about being killed off in this mystery story! Was there any truth in that?
"I think with anything like this, people start to think, 'What are the implications?' You're bound to. But I'm sure that anyone who's coming to the end of a contract that isn't being renewed would know what's going on.

"I think sometimes the papers just like to rev things up to make it sound like there's such unrest on set, but actually there's always good communication. It's good not knowing the ins and outs of all the stories until you get the scripts, because it keeps you excited about what's going on."

Bernice has lost her watch and thinks Tracy is to blame
© ITV
Bernice and Jimmy

We've seen a lot of comedy from Bernice in the past couple of years. Would you like to surprise people with a more serious storyline?
"Well I do love doing the comedy, and I think there have been some serious moments too, like at Christmas when Bernice lost the plot and turned up at Andy's wedding. Although that was funny, it was also quite sad that Bernice was in such a state. I think it's important to have the comedy because it makes the drama and the pathos much more hard-hitting when it does happen.

"I'd like to see some bigger storylines for Bernice, but I don't want to lose the comedy because I think that's what makes her unique and the programme needs it. I think Emmerdale has always been known for having some good comedy characters. Laura Norton who plays Kerry is great at comedy and I think her and Bernice work quite well together in their scenes together at the salon."

Emmerdale is on really good form at the moment, so are you hopeful about the Soap Awards coming up?
"Not really - I think the sad truth is that Emmerdale gets missed a lot at all the awards. It's such a shame, but it's just one of those things. I hope the show will do well, but it's difficult because it does get overlooked a lot. I think it's very peculiar that the show was overlooked for the BAFTA shortlist recently. It's really strange, but I don't know the ins and outs of it and how it's all done.

"I think really and truly all the awards are a bit of a nonsense. There are so many brilliant people that work in this business that never get any recognition, so what about those people? It doesn't mean that one person is better than another - it's really a popularity contest at the end of the day. With popularity contests, people don't always vote. We've got a lot of viewers who wouldn't think of picking up the phone or going online to vote."

Was it sad to say goodbye to Paula Tilbrook recently when she filmed her final scenes as Betty?
"It was so very sad. Unfortunately I wasn't working that week at all. It's a shame that Bernice wasn't there for her last scenes, because when I first came into the show, Bernice and Betty were very close. But I did see Paula just before she came back to film.

"It's a shame and a great loss, but Paula felt that it was the right time for her to go and I totally understand that. She deserves her retirement, but we will miss her because Paula herself is such an amazing character and a lovely person. She's kind, generous and she calls a spade a spade! She's part of the institution of Emmerdale and she's going to be greatly missed."

Betty goes upstairs to check on Alan but comes back down visibly disturbed
© ITV
Emmerdale's Betty

What made you want to take part in Live Below The Line this year?
"I'm raising money for Health Poverty Action and they were the ones who approached me initially. I looked into what they do and they're quite a small charity which help people in need in some of the remote areas across Africa, Asia and Latin America. They look at a wide range of factors which cause their poverty, so they're looking at health, food and water issues.

"What's great is they're not just dealing with one thing or just handing over some food and water to people - they're actually looking at re-educating people, so it's really positive work they're doing. I just thought that it would be nice to support a small charity that needs a little bit more advertising."

How are you finding the challenge so far?
"It hasn't been too bad so far. I drink a lot of water anyway, but for these five days it's all I'll be drinking - I'm not allowed any tea or coffee or anything. That's quite difficult, because sometimes if you're a little bit hungry, tea or coffee can seem a little bit more filling than a glass of water.

"I think it just makes you realise how much we do have in terms of food choices. Most of the time we take it for granted that we can choose different things to eat, depending on what we fancy. When you're restricted, there's a lack of choice and a lack of flavour, because making things taste nice on such a low amount of money is quite difficult. I can't use much in the way of herbs and spices this week.

"One thing that's occurred to me this week is that food is such a big part of enjoyment in life in Western society. We see certain foods or going out for dinner as a treat, and we feel in the West that we have a 'right' to enjoy life. The reality is that a lot of people in these countries are just focusing on getting enough to survive, never mind enjoying life."

Has there been much support from fans and colleagues?
"I've had some great support. A couple of my Twitter followers have sponsored me, which is lovely. I don't like asking for money, because I do believe that charity begins at home. If people haven't got a lot of money, then they shouldn't be feeling bad about not giving it to charity - they should be looking after themselves.

"But if there are people out there who can spare a couple of pounds, it's great if they can do that. I've had a couple of sponsors from Twitter and a few people from work have sponsored me too. Any other sponsorship is gratefully received by the charity, but it's hard in this day and age asking for money."

Would you encourage others to take on the challenge themselves?
"Absolutely. You can sign up for it on the Live Below The Line website and choose any week between now and June to do it. It's only 5 days. Obviously I'd love it if people raised money for Health Poverty Action, but there are 30 charities on there to choose from which are linked to Live Below The Line. The website has also got so much information about menus, meal plans and what you can get with your money, so it does make it a bit easier!"

[Perdita]

Emmerdale's Bernice Blackstock will invent a fictional boyfriend as she tries to get closer to Andy Sugden again.

Future episodes will see Bernice (Samantha Giles) become keen to support Andy following the death of his wife Katie, but she pretends to have a new man in order to prove that her intentions aren't romantic.

Bernice dated Andy for a while in 2014, but was later left heartbroken when he turned back to Katie.

In a video released on Emmerdale's Facebook page, series producer Kate Oates teased: "My heart goes out to poor Bernice. We saw her at Christmas crashing Andy and Katie's wedding and she loves him so much. Obviously he's in a pit of grief and he's not ready for a new relationship yet.

"So what she's going to try and do is befriend him. It's the next best thing and she just really misses him from her life. So to do that, Bernice is going to get herself into a bit of a pickle. She's going to make up a man so that Andy thinks that there's a boyfriend, as a sort of buffer zone!

"The problem with these kinds of lies is they have a habit of taking on a life of their own, so let's see how Bernice deals with that little conundrum!"

Katie died in February, sending Andy on a downward spiral as he struggled to cope with his grief.

Andy has slowly been trying to get his life back on track since then, although he has been featuring on screen less frequently recently.

Kelvin Fletcher, who plays Andy, told Digital Spy last month: "I was aware there'd be a quiet spell for him, which was a necessity, really. Being out of sight is the best thing for him at the moment. I've not really been in work for a couple of months, so I'll be very quiet on screen but it just gives that time for Andy and the audience to move on."

[Perdita]

I feel a little bad as I have not thought or missed Katie at all since she has gone

[Telly Watcher]

Bernice is in denial about her sexless relationship with Lawrence, says Emmerdale star Samantha Giles

Their marriage could be disastrous, reckons the actress

By David Brown
Tuesday 13 October 2015 at 12:01AM

It should be the perfect union - unlucky-in-love Bernice pairing up with successful businessman Lawrence. But the lack of any bedroom action could prove to be a big problem for the bride to be.

"There is no physical side to the relationship at the moment. So that does have the potential to be disastrous," says actress Samantha Giles. "Sex has always been very important to Bernice."

Yet despite that lack of intimacy, Bernice and Lawrence will press ahead with an engagement party in scenes to be shown next week. So why is she going ahead with the plans?

"Bernice has decided that, because she's not getting any younger, she should be with Mr Make Do rather than Mr Right. She's been let down so many times in the past, so she's convincing herself that she'll be happy with Lawrence.

"And Lawrence is very kind to her. He totally accepts her for who she is. He doesn't seem to find her irritating! And Bernice sees him as solid and reliable."

One extra obstacle though is the consternation of Bernice's mum Diane, who couldn't be less happy about the prospect of her family getting closer to the Whites.

"Yes, Diane sees Lawrence and Chrissie as the enemy," comments Giles. "In her eyes, Chrissie caused the helicopter crash that killed her sister Val. And she sees the Whites as doing everything they can to oust Robert from Home Farm. So, for her, the family is bad news."

So with the odds stacked against Bernice's upcoming marriage, does the actress believe that her character can make it work?

"Well, it would take adjustment on Bernice's part if she's going to forego a physical relationship. But it does have the potential for a lot of drama.

"People on Twitter seem to be enjoying the match. And I've had feedback from viewers who've said that they know of marriages where there is no sex. So it's an important story to address. And it's interesting that it's the man who isn't the physical one. We always assume that it's the woman with the lower sex drive."

Source:
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-...samantha-giles

[Perdita]

Emmerdale's Bernice Blackstock will make one last attempt to win Andy Sugden's heart next week.

Bernice will be left with some major decisions to make over her future after Lawrence White (John Bowe) is released from prison and wants to push ahead with their wedding plans.

While Bernice is tempted by the chance to settle down again, she is given food for thought when Kerry Wyatt teases her about going from hunky Andy to older man Lawrence.

Samantha Giles, who plays Bernice, explained: "Kerry refers to Lawrence as a 'gay old man'. Bernice hasn't really been addressing the fact that Lawrence might or might not be gay - she's in denial about that.

"Lawrence and Andy are so different, so the fact that Kerry brings it up just makes Bernice think, 'Oh my God - Lawrence might be lovely but he's not exactly a stud, whereas Andy ticks all the boxes'.

"Bernice then visits Andy because she wants to absolutely make sure that there is no chance at all of them ever being together. She tells him that she has put those feelings for him away in a drawer but wants to make sure there really isn't any chance of anything happening."

When Andy (Kelvin Fletcher) rejects Bernice once again, she goes full-steam ahead with her plans to marry Lawrence - shocking her family and ignoring her own private worries about the lack of sex in their relationship.

Giles added: "I think Bernice has really fallen in love with Lawrence, because he's so lovely to her and they get along really well. But she's slightly in denial about the physical side of things, really.

"There is no physical side to the relationship at the moment and it has a potential to be disastrous, because sex is very important to Bernice and it always has been. She's always gone for quite muscular guys - apart from Ashley!

Bernice is flustered when Lachlan jokes she is allowed to stay overnight
© ITV

"I think Bernice has just decided that she's not getting any younger. 'Mr Perfect' isn't out there, so she's going for 'Mr Make-Do' instead. She's convincing herself that she will be happy with Lawrence, but it will take some adjustment on her part if she's going to forego a physical relationship. That's got the potential for a lot of drama, which is exciting.

"Lots of people have said to me that it's quite common and they have friends who have a marriage where there's no physical relationship. So I think it's an important story to address and I think people will identify with it."


digitalspy

[Telly Watcher]

Emmerdale’s Bernice torn between two families

Bernice Thomas finds herself torn between two families on Emmerdale as she prepares to marry Lawrence White – but what about her allegiance to her own family, especially with regards to her stepbrother Robert Sugden?

Story by Jackie Bell

Unlucky in love Bernice did not expect to find herself in a relationship with Lawrence, as in the past she has always been attracted to the more “beefier” men. But when Lawrence is released from prison and they rekindle their engagement, Bernice will find herself in the middle of predicament regarding her family and the family she is about to marry into.

Actress Samantha Giles said she wasn’t really surprised her character was matched with Lawrence.

“He is very kind to her,” she said. “He totally accepts her for what she is, he finds her funny, and he doesn’t seem to find her irritating, which a lot of men do. Lawrence just seems to be very warm towards her and supportive.

“She’s always been a character that’s been quite interested in money, but funnily enough I don’t think it is his money that is the pulling point here. I think it’s all the other things and she’s been so badly let down by other men, that he is completely solid and reliable.”

However, with Robert still in hospital after being shot by a mystery assailant, relations between the White family and her own have become frayed and Bernice is in the middle of it all.

“(Mum) Diane (Sugden) just sees Lawrence and Chrissie (Sugden) as the enemy because of Robert," said Samantha. “Diane doesn’t know how manipulative Robert has been, all she knows is that he has made a big mistake by carrying on with (Aaron).

“But she sees the fact that they are doing everything they can to oust Robert out of the house and business.

“Also, she also sees Chrissie as responsible for the helicopter crash which killed her sister, Val. So she just thinks that family are bad news.”

The reality of her predicament hits Bernice during her engagement party at Home Farm.

Samantha explained: “They invite all their friends and family, but it all goes a bit wrong, as things usually do, there’s a bit of a showdown. Cain comes in and has a go at Chrissie and Lawrence, and Chrissie says lots of things about Robert which Diane is disgusted by.

“Bernice is in a very difficult position because she feels torn between the two families.”

On whether or not Samantha thinks the relationship will last, she said: “I think she has decided she isn’t getting any younger, Mr Perfect isn’t out there and she has Mr Make-do – which I think a lot of people do. But she is convincing herself that she will be happy with Lawrence.”

Source:
http://www.u.tv/Entertainment/2015/1...families-46973

[Telly Watcher]

Emmerdale spoilers: Robert Sugden to manipulate Bernice Blackstock

By Sophie Dainty
Tuesday, Oct 20 2015, 00:01 BST

Emmerdale's Robert Sugden will manipulate Bernice Blackstock next week after he spots an opportunity to keep an eye on the White family.

Robert's interest is piqued when he learns that Bernice has moved into Home Farm following her decision to focus on her relationship with Lawrence.

Knowing this could be useful, Robert sends a message to Bernice asking her to visit him in hospital. Once she is there, Robert warns her that the Whites are a dangerous family and tells her to watch them closely.

Following Robert's warning, Bernice feels uneasy around Chrissie and ponders how she will raise her concerns about her to Lawrence.

When Chrissie overhears Bernice telling Lawrence that she visited Robert, she warns her not to let him manipulate her.


© ITV
Robert's interest is piqued when he hears Bernice has moved into Home Farm

Later, Bernice visits Robert once again and reveals that Chrissie is applying for a restraining order. However, when Bernice later confesses that that she told Robert this, Chrissie questions where loyalties lie.

Feeling guilty about how she spoke to Bernice, Chrissie later suggests that she has her wedding at Home Farm.

However, with Bernice continuing to feed back information to Robert, do her loyalties lie with him or Chrissie and Lawrence?

Source:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s1...lackstock.html

[Telly Watcher]

Samantha Giles signs a new contract with Emmerdale

EMMERDALE actress Samantha Giles has signed a new contract keeping her in the ITV soap for another year.

By Susan Hill, Daily Star
Published 15th November 2015

“I've been back three years now so being offered another contract is just lovely. I do really love playing [Bernice]. She's a great fun character to play”
Samantha Giles

Samantha, 44, returned to the village as loveable Bernice Blackstock in 2012 after nearly nine years away. She first appeared back in 1998 and is currently preparing to marry husband number four - gay businessman Lawrence White.

Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star Sunday, bubbly Samantha joked that a sexless relationship could prove difficult for her randy character - especially after she enjoys this steamy kiss with ex-lover Andy Sugden.

Gorgeous Samantha said: "I've been back three years now so being offered another contract is just lovely. I do really love playing her. She's a great fun character to play. I get to do the the comedy stuff but I also get plenty of drama when she makes a mess of it all. I imagine she probably irritates quite a few people - she even irritates me a bit at times!

"But I think she's quite a believable character and I've had some great stuff to get my teeth into over the last six months. I'm really looking forward to seeing where the Bernice and Lawrence storyline is going to go. If she's not having any kind of physical relationship with Lawrence then ultimately she's going to start looking somewhere else."

And that somewhere else is ex-lover Andy Sugden. Unlucky-in-love Bernice was left heartbroken when her relationship with Andy ended last year. She even made sure that there was no future for them before accepting Lawrence's marriage proposal. But as she prepares for her big day, Andy asks whether a sexless marriage is good enough for her.

The pair then kiss but have no idea that Lawrence's daughter Chrissie has spotted them.

Samantha added: "There's going to be lots of drama surrounding the wedding but I can't give too much away. It's definitely going to be a case of will they or won't they get married. It's a typical soap wedding - there's tears and plenty of drama. You'll all have to wait and see."

And as we wait to find out what happens to her character, Samantha, who lives in Liverpool with her husband Sean and their two young daughters, has just added to her family after adopting two cats.

She added: "We've always loved cats. Our last cat died in August and we thought we'd give it a bit of time before getting some more. We've just adopted a brother and sister who are two and three years old. I really would urge anyone thinking of getting a cat to get an adult cat.

"They're already trained so it's much easier to look after them. Once you've got them settled you can put a cat flap in and it's like them having their own front door key - they can come and go as they like. We've named them Bob and Maggie and they're already part of the family."

For more information about the charity and cats in need of homes readers can go to www.cats.org.uk

Source:
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz-t...ract-Emmerdale

[Telly Watcher]

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