Bernice Blackstock (also Thomas and White) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Samantha Giles.

As Middleton told Claire Brand from Inside Soap, Ashley could not handle scenarios involving females and now "he has to spend time with this woman who he clearly adores".

While Inside Soap ran a poll which determined that readers wanted Bernice to leave Gavin Ferris (Robert Beck) in favour of Ashley.

[3] Giles told a writer from Inside Soap that her character is reluctant to leave the village because "for once in her life, she has got some stability and she doesn't want to change that."

Turner told a reporter from Inside Soap that Bernice and Carlos have tried to end their affair, but they have "fallen madly, passionately in love".

[7] In June 2020, Giles revealed to Inside Soap that her exit storyline underwhelmed her and admitted that she wished that her character had been killed off.

Emmerdale producers asked her to return, and since she is "a big believer in fate", Giles "took it as a sign that it was meant to be" and accepted.

[9] Due to her return coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, Giles initially wore a wig since the hairdressers were not allowed to be within two metres.

Initially, she does not like Tricia Stokes (Sheree Murphy), but after they discover their partners – Gavin Ferris (Robert Beck) and Jason Kirk (James Carlton) – are having an affair, they become good friends.

She is clearly keener on him than he is on her but they later announce that they are getting married and expecting a baby but on her hen night, Nicola admits that she is not pregnant but felt it was the only way to get Carlos to settle down with her.

Finding living in Emmerdale too difficult, Bernice takes a job on a cruiseliner, leaving Gabby with Ashley and the couple get divorced off-screen.

Her ex-husband Ashley asks Bernice what her intentions are towards their daughter Gabby and she states that she wants to spend more time with her.

The only thing that Bernice is now unhappy about is that Charlie is awkward about allowing her access to their daughter so she goes to visit him, hoping to persuade him to be more reasonable.

Bernice becomes Acting landlady of The Woolpack working alongside Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) while Diane is away in Brighton.

Diane eventually reveals that she has decided to stay and takes The Woolpack off the market dashing Bernice's dreams of owning the pub again.

In October 2013, Bernice, along with many other villagers including Diane and Nicola, are held hostage in the Woolpack by Cameron Murray (Dominic Power).

Bernice, Diane, Nicola and the others are all eventually released by Cameron, but he keeps Chas and Debbie Dingle (Charley Webb) hostage.

Despite the fact that most people seem relatively uninterested, Bernice holds a brainstorming session with Val, Alicia Gallagher (Natalie Anderson), David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) amongst others.

However, it is ruined when Val reveals to Alicia that her son Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant) has been stealing items from her and David's shop to sell at school.

Kerry Wyatt (Laura Norton) begs Bernice to let her work in the salon, as she is a beautician and hairdresser without qualifications.

She gives Pearl Ladderbanks (Meg Johnson) and Betty Eagleton (Paula Tilbrook) a makeover to try to prove herself.

Declan Macey (Jason Merrells) lets Bernice rent Pear Tree Cottage, even though her brother-in-law Jimmy works there already.

Andy Sugden (Kelvin Fletcher) agrees to help her set up the salon and she gives him a free massage to thank him, but he is embarrassed and leaves when his ex-girlfriend Kerry arrives.

Bernice then humiliates Katie in front of Leyla Harding (Roxy Shahidi) before leaving the village for Australia.

Unsure that Lawrence will be able to satisfy her completely in the absence of a sexual relationship, Bernice has a one-night stand with Andy during her hen night.

After going on a holiday to clear her head, she returns and moves in with Diane and her partner and Douglas Potts (Duncan Preston) at their house Brook Cottage.

Andy escapes custody during his trial and returns to Emmerdale, where Chrissie frames him for trying to kill her with a knife, however he meets with Bernice and he asks her to run away with him.

[13] She then garnered nominations for Best Actress, Sexiest Female and Best On-Screen Partnership with Middleton at the 2002 British Soap Awards.

She is so virtuous that she has failed to hear the rustle of bushes and bedsheets as her heartthrob boyfriend Gavin swept into the village and the local lasses off their feet..."[15] In December 2012, Kate White of Inside Soap said she was "thrilled" that Giles had returned to the show, naming Bernice "funny", "ditzy", "well-connected", "selfish", "thoughtless", "hilariously unreliable", "brutal" and "passionate".

They felt the wig looked cheap and therefore she "found herself the centre of memes and jokes on the internet and throughout the Emmerdale fandom".