Soaps

A short history of Emmerdale’s Bernice Blackstock

She's the village beauty expert who's partial to romance...

It’s fair to say that Bernice Blackstock has had her share of ups and downs since arriving in Emmerdale back in 1998.

Not only has Emmerdale’s resident beautician been married four times, she has also had more flings and affairs than she can probably remember… not to mention her amazing ability to always bag herself the richest man around.

Bernice is also not afraid to speak her mind, something that usually lands her in trouble thanks to her lack of tact… or hilariously results in a cat fight.

But, despite her honesty and high-maintenance ways, Bernice wears her heart on her sleeve and it’s hard not to love her.

The character had an eight-year break from the show after her marriage to village vicar Ashley Thomas broke down after Bernice suffered with postnatal depression in 2004.

But thankfully for soap fans she made a long-awaited return to the soap when actress Samantha Giles reprised her role as Rodney Blackstock and Diane Sugden’s daughter in 2012.

Here is a quick round-up of what neck-scarf-loving Bernice has been up to during her time in the village…

When did Bernice Blackstock arrive in the village?

Bernice’s first job in the village was working behind the bar in the Woolpack (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Bernice arrived in Emmerdale in 1998 and landed herself a job as a barmaid at The Woolpack alongside Tricia Stokes.

At first the pair couldn’t stand the sight of once another… but when they made the shock discovery that their partners, Gavin Ferris and Jason Kirk, were secretly having an affair, they bonded over their heartbreak and became good friends.

Who has Bernice Blackstock been married to?

Bernice and Ashley got married on Christmas Day in 2000 (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock )

Bernice has tied the knot a grand total of four times… but her first marriage to Anthony Binns took place before she even arrived in Emmerdale.

In fact Bernice’s arrival in the village came when she left husband Anthony after she caught him in bed with another man. Yep, it seems Bernice might have a thing for men who leave her for other men!

But if there’s one thing Bernice loves, it’s romance, and it didn’t take her long to get back on the dating scene.

After her brief engagement with Gavin Ferris, Bernice set her sights on village vicar Ashley Thomas and they got married on Christmas Day in 2000.

But sadly for Bernice and Ashley, their marriage hit the rocks when Bernice suffered a miscarriage. As Bernice struggled to cope with the grief of losing her baby, she took her feelings out on Ashley, causing him to take a temporary job outside of the village for a while.

While Ashley was gone, Bernice started an affair with sister Nicola’s fiancé Carlos Diaz… only to discover she was pregnant again but this time she didn’t know if the father was Carlos or Ashley.

During her time away from the soap between 2004 and 2012 Bernice married Charlie, but by the time she returned to the village, that romance had turned sour because she was having another affair.

In 2016 Bernice got together with Lawrence White, but with their relationship lacking intimacy – due to the fact he was secretly gay – she ended up having a one-night stand with old flame Andy Sugden on her hen night.

But while Bernice was up for ending things with Lawrence so she could be with Andy, Andy said their fling was a mistake and she went on to marry Lawrence, even after she confessed what happened with Andy.

However, just as the pair tied the knot, Andy returned to tell her that he’d changed his mind, but sadly he was too late.

Bernice later nearly went on the run with Andy, but instead decided to stay and vowed to wait for him.

However, she ended up in a relationship with Daz Spencer, but that ended when she cheated on him with current squeeze, Dr Liam Cavanagh.

Read more: The complete Emmerdale cast list 2019

How many children does Bernice Blackstock have?

Bernice has daughter Gabby living with her (Credit: ITV)

Bernice has two daughters, Gabrielle Thomas, who she shared with vicar husband Ashley Thomas in 2001, and Diane – better known as Dee Dee – who was born in 2004 and named after Bernice’s mother.

Bernice didn’t take naturally to motherhood, and shortly after Gabby was born she announced to Ashley that they marriage was over and she let the village, leaving Gabby with Ashley.

Fast forward to 2004 and Bernice and then-husband Charlie Willis were thrilled to welcome Dee Dee into the world.

Bernice’s second daughter even arrived on the same day Diane married Jack Sugden, leading to the newlyweds rushing to Brighton to see Bernice and her new baby shortly after their wedding.

Dee Dee now lives in Australia with her dad, Charlie.

Where does Bernice Blackstock work?

Bernice’s fling with Andy started when he helped her set up her new salon (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Bernice has had many jobs in the village, including landlady of The Woolpack.

But Bernice found her calling when she opened a beauty salon in 2014 and recruited Kerry Wyatt to work along side her.

Opening the salon lead to a steamy romance with Andy Sugden after he agreed to help her set up the salon and she thanked him with a free massage.

The pair embarked on a secret romance, but they were soon caught out by Nicola, Rodney and Kerry. Their romance didn’t last long before Andy went back to his ex girlfriend Katie.

What have been Bernice Blackstock’s biggest storylines?

The decision to have botox left Bernice fighting for her life (Credit: ITV)

Over the years Bernice has found herself at the centre of drama in the village, from being held hostage in the Woolpack in 2013 by Cameron Murray, to being handcuffed to a bed by someone she met on the internet, only for him to then rob the house in front of her.

More recently Bernice found herself in a coma after she had botox in a bid to make her look younger, deciding on her 50th birthday that she wanted to look good for current romance Dr Liam Cavanagh.

But as Kerry Wyatt helped her inject the botox, it turned out they had a dodgy batch, and Bernice reacted badly to it – leaving to her fighting for her life in hospital.

Read more: Emmerdale vs Coronation Street: Battle of the soaps

A classic Bernice Blackstock quote

Emmerdale Liam and Bernice cosy up and look lovingly at each other
Bernice couldn’t help but fall for the village doctor (Credit: ITV)

After being caught kissing Liam Cavanagh in the Woolpack toilets by Diane, Bernice was left red-faced as she tried to explain to her mum why she was cheating on her then-boyfriend Daz Spencer with the local doctor

“I tried to resist him, but I’m only human. I haven’t felt like this since Andy.

“We’ve only gone all the way once, but mum can you blame me? He’s flaming gorgeous, you even said so yourself!”

What is your favourite Bernice moment? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!


Claire Crick
Freelance Soap Writer

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