THERE’LL be champagne corks popping in The Woolpack as Emmerdale’s beloved barmaid Bernice Blackstock returns to roost.
The Sun can reveal actress Samantha Giles is making a return to the ITV soap after two years away.
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But fans will have to soak up every minute of her scenes, as she won’t be back for long.
Bernice is back in the Dales for Gabby and Vinny’s wedding and filming is due to start in a couple of weeks.
A source said: “Everything is being kept very hush hush but of course Bernice’s return is a big deal as one of the soap’s most loved characters.
“And Samantha being back among the cast is a real win too, as everyone loves working with her.”
Samantha first began on Emmerdale in November 1998 until she left in April 2002.
But she was back again for two further stints, once in 2004 and then again in 2023.
She left two years ago to pursue other opportunities, including a theatre production of The Syndicate.
During an interview at the time Samatha, was asked if she’d return to Emmerdale.
She replied: “I don’t feel I’d want to go back to Emmerdale at the moment.
“I’m enjoying doing other things, and the show changes.
“I haven’t had a chance to see what’s going on with the show, so I don’t know whether Bernice would fit into it at the moment.
“Who knows? They might not want the character to come back.
“I don’t think they’ve killed her or anything – they could still do that.
“It’s something that’s there for the future possibly, or not.
“Never say never is what I’m saying.
“For now, I’m enjoying doing lots of different things.”
DOUGRAY PLAYS IT SCHOOL
DOUGRAY SCOTT has been confirmed as the leading man in new BBC drama Crookhaven.
In the series – based on the book of the same name by JJ Arcanjo – the Vigil actor plays Caspian Lockett, the headmaster of a school for young criminals.
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Adolescence star Amari Bacchus will lead the cast of weird and wonderful schoolkids, known as Crooklings, who are trained to use their skills to be a force for good when they are eventually released into the world.
Industry actress Claire Forlani will play Lockett’s wife Carmen, and will be joined on screen by Slow Horses’ Naomi Wirthner and The Pembrokeshire Murders’ Keith Allen.
The show is expected to make its debut on BBC iPlayer early next year.
Bizbit
NOEL EDMONDS quit the UK in 2018 – but now he is back, for an ITV special all about his relocation to New Zealand.
Cameras followed the radio and TV presenter on his move to a rural town to start up a hospitality business.
Noel Edmonds’ Kiwi Adventure airs from June 20.
HOLLY TO RETURN? YOU BET!
STEPHEN MULHERN will be joined by a very familiar face as You Bet! travels up and down the country.
Holly Willoughby, who quit as co-host due to scheduling conflicts, will return as a celebrity guest.
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She will be joined by Alison Hammond, Rob Beckett, Judi Love, Aj Odudu, Josh Widdicombe and Josie Gibson for the ITV show’s upcoming second series.
Babatunde Aleshe, Alesha Dixon, Danny Jones, Alex Brooker, Nick Mohammed and soap brothers Adam and Ryan Thomas will also compete.
Stephen said: “I’m thrilled that You Bet! is back – and this time we’re hitting the road.
“Each week I’ll be joined by a top celeb panel as our challengers take on some brilliantly bonkers and amazing challenges.”
FANTASY WOLVES GoT REAL
MOST Game Of Thrones fans will have assumed dire wolves were just mythical creatures when they appeared as pets on the HBO fantasy series.
But the animals are real and were extinct – until now.
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Boffins at US biosciences company Colossal Bioscience used 73,000-year-old DNA to bring the beasts back to life last year.
And nobody was more surprised than GoT star Sophie Turner.
Speaking with Colossal’s CEO Ben Lamm, the actress, who played Sansa , joked: “I thought they weren’t real, so when are the dragons coming?”
The male wolves, named Romulus and Remus, are growing bigger by the day and are about to get company.
Ben added: “We’re about to introduce the girl, Khaleesi, into the pack.
Bizbit
BRADLEY WALSH will be back with his quiz expert chums with Beat The Chasers returning for two more series.
Season seven of The Chase spin-off is currently under way, while the eighth is due to be recorded this autumn.
ITV is expected to air the two new runs from next year.
MORE IN STORE FOR NICK
NICK FROST might be having some awkward conversations on the set of the new Harry Potter TV show if he bumps into JK Rowling.
The comedian will play Hagrid in the HBO adaptation, but later this month he will also take centre stage in a new comedy that is unlikely to appeal to JK, who is outspoken about her views on trans issues.
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Nick will star in six-parter Transaction, airing weekly from June 24 on ITV2 then available on ITVX.
As store manager Simon, Nick appears alongside Liv played by Jordan Grey, who is described as “a transgender egomaniac” working the night shift in a supermarket.
I exclusively revealed last year that Shaun Of The Dead star Nick would be making the show for ITV alongside Jordan who found fame as a contestant on The Voice in 2016.
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