Bernice Blackstock has left Emmerdale, after being forced to cancel her wedding to Dr Liam Cavanagh at the last minute.
Viewers of the ITV soap were heartbroken as a tragic chain of events meant Bernice had to put her daughter Dee Dee’s welfare ahead of her own happiness.
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On Thursday night (November 28), Bernice gave a heartfelt speech about becoming Mrs Cavanagh and how Liam was ‘The One’ and ‘her one perfect soulmate’.
During her hen do, Bernice missed several calls from Australia but, when her daughter Dee Dee noticed and answered one of the calls, she looked visibly pale and shocked.
She told the hens: “It’s dad, he’s been in a car accident and it’s serious. He’s in hospital now.”
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As Dee Dee dissolved into tears, Bernice called the hospital who told her Charlie’s condition was “critical”.
As Manpreet tried to convince Dee Dee her dad would be okay as he got to the hospital quickly, Dee Dee turned her upset towards her mum, snapping back: “But I’m halfway across the world. I’m angry. The only person who has loved me and cared for me is my dad, Mr Not Quite Good Enough For You.
“You left us for some cheap affair and dumped us like we meant nothing. You think you’re perfect? You do not care about anybody else apart from yourself. Now my dad might be dying alone and it’s all your fault.”
In a sad twist, Bernice made the heartbreaking decision to do the unselfish thing for the first time in her life, and gave up on her own chance of happiness with Liam.
Turning up at Liam’s drunken stag do, she told him: “Dee Dee needs me. Her dad has had a car accident and I can’t let her fly to Australia on her own. I can’t marry you tomorrow, because I’m leaving with her tonight. So sorry my darling, the wedding is off.”
In the second of the double parter, Liam attempted to sober up as he came to terms with the fact his fiancée was leaving on the last flight of the day from Manchester.
As Bernice faced an uncomfortable flight with her daughter, who was still furiously blaming her for not being by her dad’s side, she received another phone call which seemed to unsettle her and caused her to leave the house in a rush.
Arriving at her salon, she revealed Charlie had had a stroke with “catastrophic” results, meaning months of rehab and having to learn to walk all over again.
Worst case scenario, she explained, he could be left brain damaged or paralysed.
With encouragement from mum Diane, Bernice realised she had to “give up her life” in Emmerdale to be a mum to Dee Dee in her hour or need.
Bidding a sad farewell to her family, daughter Gabby and fiancé Liam, a tearful Bernice left Emmerdale carrying the secret that she probably won’t be back any time soon.
And fans were gutted she’d been robbed of her happy ending.
Feels so strange saying goodbye to Bernice she’s always been one of my favourites ever since I started watching the show!! @sammeegiles you will be so missed, good luck and all the best ❤️❤️❤️ #emmerdale @emmerdale
— laura (@LauraaCowell) November 28, 2019
I'm not crying…@sammeegiles @emmerdale #Emmerdale #Bernice pic.twitter.com/PdIOBjNTTo
— Kelz 🏳️🌈#LOVER (@kellieMcQuade) November 28, 2019
The fabulous @sammeegiles in on @thismorning tomorrow according to @Sharontweet so we can find out what the future holds for Sam and Bernice away from #Emmerdale But until then I'll just be over here… sobbing #byebyebernice pic.twitter.com/dz7pdv6Xqh
— Emmerdale Fans (@TheEmmerdaily) November 28, 2019
Viewers had previously suspected Bernice would leave the soap after another bombshell, after actress Samatha Giles announced she was leaving.
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