Rumours began swirling earlier this year that Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles) would be reappearing in Emmerdale. The day has arrived – Bernice is back in town and making waves.

Bernice left a storm behind her when she ran from the Dales a few years ago, having taken out a whopping loan in sister Nicola King’s (Nicola Wheeler) name and caused a right kafuffle that almost saw her landed in jail.

 

 

Having been ostracised, she ran – and then when Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham) invited her to this wedding, she initially turned it down, refusing to return.

But no good mother can miss their child’s big day, especially when there’s an opportunity to ruin it, so Gabby is flummoxed when on her wedding day, she descends the stairs in her wedding gown only to find her mum right there.

Bernice is not there to don big hats and sit dabbing her eyes on the front row – she’s there to urge Gabby not to go ahead with the vows without revealing her secret.

 

 

Gabby is distraught at being confronted with this and vows to reveal all to Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson) – a shocker in itself as it had seemed he was the only one living a big fib, having not yet confessed to Gabby that he’s questioning his sexuality and that he continues to be threatened by Mike – the man he met on the internet.

Gabby sits Vinny down for a big talk, one Bernice hopes will end in the end of their wedding. Instead, Gabby returns to her mum and reveals she could not bring herself to call it all off.

With the wedding on, Gabby continues getting ready and eagerly heads to the alter to marry her beloved, only he’s not there. Kammy (Shebz Miah) reveals the Dingle is a no show.

As Bernice processes what’s gone on, and mulls over her own miseries in the B&B, Bob provides a shoulder to cry on.

They open a bottle of wine and get reminiscing – before she left, they’d got close to giving into desires after Wendy cheated on him.