Emmerdale's Samantha Giles explains how her personal life is influencing Bernice's latest storyline

 "I get furious and anxious about things, which is obviously very common."

Emmerdale star Samantha Giles has revealed how her personal life has influenced the storyline of her character, Bernice Blackstock.

In episodes that air next week, Bernice’s behaviour will start to become erratic as she goes through menopause, leaving many of the village residents concerned about her wellbeing.

Giles, who first played the character in 1998, teased elements of the upcoming storyline to The Mirror, before disclosing that she also brought personal aspects to the arc.

“She has many of the common symptoms, like hot flushes, but I really want to show the serious side of what going through the menopause is like,” she said. “Because Bernice is famous for being a comedy character, I want to bring the funny side to even the darkest aspects of life.

“I get furious and anxious about things, which is obviously very common. I had a brief rage in a chemist’s a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t go as far as Bernice but ­sometimes, you do get into situations where you would like to scream.

The actress, who has also appeared in Hollyoaks and Coronation Street, also spoke of the need for women to reach out for support, saying there is a “lot of help out there.”

“It’s a tough one for women as you can lose your confidence or worry about your self-worth but, hopefully, a lot of the things Bernice says and does will ­resonate with women,” she said.

“It’s so important to have a support network. Women do talk about things together – especially health. For women going through the menopause, it can be absolutely ­horrific. It can make you feel less feminine and you can fear your sexy days are over but, thankfully, there is a lot of help out there now.”

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.