Samantha Giles first appeared on our screens as Emmerdale 's Bernice in 1998 and 25 years later, she has played the larger-than-life character through seemingly endless romantic disasters and comedy capers.
However, recent months have seen Bernice make a shift. The troubles with men and outrageous scrapes are still there – this week, we see her bed a handsome harpist who's later found dead in his bed! But a new story began as we saw Bernice struggle to face up to the menopause and cope with its symptoms.
The plot was welcomed by Sam, 51, and she has found herself becoming a voice for menopausal women up and down the country.
