Samantha Elizabeth Giles (born 2 July 1971) is an English actress and author. She is known for portraying the role of Bernice Blackstock in the ITV soap opera ''

Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, ...

''. She had also portrayed Sally Boothe in the ITV drama series '' Where the Heart Is'' and

Valerie Holden The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' in 2007, by order of first appearance. Father Raymond Father Raymond is the Catholic Priest that first appeared to console Myra McQueen (Nico ...

in the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

soap opera ''

Hollyoaks ''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera '' Brookside''. Since 2005, episodes have been aired on sister channel E4 a ...

Coronation Street as Kirsty .''She departed from ''Emmerdale'' in 2019 to focus on other creative projects, such as writing her

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...

, ''Rosemary and the Witches of Pendle Hill'', released in August 2020. In April 2021, it was confirmed that she would be returning to ''Emmerdale''. In October 2021 she had a sequel to her first book published called "Rosemary and the Book of the Dead". Giles describes her beliefs as

Wiccan Wicca () is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religion categorise it as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and ...

Career

From 1998 to 2002, and again in 2004, Giles portrayed the role of Bernice Blackstock in the ITV soap opera ''

''. For her role as Bernice, she won the ''TV Quick'' Award for Best Actress. Giles' other television credits include '' Doctors'', '' Dangerfield'' and ''Midnight Man''. Her stage credits include ''

A Taste of Honey ''A Taste of Honey'' is the first play by the British dramatist Shelagh Delaney, written when she was 19. It was intended as a novel, but she turned it into a play because she hoped to revitalise British theatre and address social issues that ...

'' (as Helen), ''Dead Funny'' (Lisa), and ''Season's Greetings'' (Belinda). In December 2007, it was announced that Giles was to join the cast of the

soap opera ''

'' in 2008 as

, a role that was taken over from actress

Jacqueline Leonard Jacqueline Jackie Leonard is a Scottish actress. She is known for playing Sarah Preston in the ITV drama ''Peak Practice'' from 1993 to 1996, Lorraine Wicks in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1996 to 1997, Dr. Caroline Powers in the BBC ...

. She returned in July 2010, and left again in August 2010. In December 2010, Giles appeared on ''

Celebrity Mastermind ''Celebrity Mastermind'' is a celebrity version of ''Mastermind'', a British television quiz show broadcast by BBC television. It began in 2002 as a one-off special, expanding to the current arrangement of 10 episodes, broadcast during December ...

'' where her specialist subject was the works of

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

. Giles returned to ''Emmerdale'' in 2012. However, in 2019, Giles announced her departure from the series to focus on other creative projects. In August 2020, her first book, titled ''Rosemary and the Witches of Pendle Hill'', was published. After ''Emmerdale'' producers offered a return to Giles in 2021, she accepted; her return scenes aired on 27 May.

Filmography

Stage

* 1993, Rosalind in ''Double D'' directed by June Brown * 2004, Jennifer in ''Party Piece'' at the Theatre Royal Windsor directed by Mark Piper * 2010, Marge in '' Absent Friends'' at the

Oldham Coliseum Oldham Coliseum Theatre is a theatre in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. Found on Fairbottom Street in the town centre, Oldham's Coliseum is a repertory theatre which celebrated its centenary in 1987. Its interior makes it a great period cla ...

/Harrogate/Anvil Arts Production directed by Nikolai Foster * 2007, Lisa in ''Dead Fully'' at the Oldham Coliseum and National Tour directed by Nikolai Foster * 2006, Helen in ''A Taste of Honey'' - National Tour at the Oldham Coliseum directed by Stuart Wood * 2006, Belinda in '' Seasons Greetings'' at the

Liverpool Playhouse The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actres ...

directed by Nikolai Foster

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Giles, Samantha 1971 births Living people 20th-century English actresses 20th-century English novelists 20th-century English women writers 21st-century English actresses 21st-century English novelists 21st-century English women writers Actresses from Kent English soap opera actresses English stage actresses English television actresses English women novelists English women writers People from Maidstone