Bernice leaves Emmerdale after shock car crash - will she be back?
Tragedy wrecked the beautician's wedding plans
Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles) has left Emmerdale and cancelled her wedding to Dr Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson) at the last minute, marking the character's exit - for now.
A phone call from Australia during her hen night on Thursday 28th November revealed Bern's ex Charlie, dad to youngest daughter Dee Dee who was visiting the UK for her mum's nuptials, had been in a serious car accident and suffered a stroke.
Teenager Dee Dee needed to fly straight home and Bernice realised she had to step up for her little girl, so made the heartbreaking decision to put her life in the village on hold to accompany her kid Down Under - which meant walking out on her groom-to-be.
Bern swiftly made arrangements to leave and bid a tearful goodbye to friends and family, promising Liam their plan to get hitched was merely on hold, not completely ditched. The bubbly beautician insisted she'd be back once Dee Dee's dad was on the mend, but her departure felt pretty final and Bernice herself looked like she knew fate was tearing her and Dr Cavanagh apart.
Giles confirmed she was leaving the cast a few months back, but Emmerdale do love to keep fans on their toes so there's a chance this may not be the last we've seen of her. Could their be a surprise Skype call in a few weeks' time where she announces she's not coming back?
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Over the last 21 years, Bernice has been in and out of the show several times so there's every chance she could return one day. Following her first four-year stint from 1998 she made a brief return in 2004, before being reintroduced as a regular in 2012.
Don't forget she still has eldest daughter Gabby, mum Diane and little sister Nicola to come back for. But for now, it seems this is goodbye. Let's hope Kerry Wyatt doesn't run her friend's beauty salon business into the ground while she's away…
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