Samantha Giles (born 2nd July 1971, Maidstone, Kent, England) is a British actress, probably best known for playing Bernice Blackstock in Emmerdale (1998–2002 and 2004 and then returning to the role regularly in 2012), a role which earned her a TV Quick Award for Best Actress and a nomination for a National Television Awards for Most Popular Actress (both in 2000), and Sally Boothe in Where the Heart Is (2003–2005). Giles stated that she left Emmerdale as it was too much of a commute to her home.
Giles's other TV credits are Doctors, Dangerfield, Coronation Street and Midnight Man. Her stage credits include A Taste of Honey (as Helen), Dead Funny (Lisa), and Season's Greetings (Belinda).
In December 2007 it was announced that, in 2008, Giles had joined the cast of the Channel 4 teen soap Hollyoaks as Valerie Holden, a role that was taken over from actress Jacqueline Leonard. She has since left Hollyoaks on maternity leave, written out as moving to Spain. However she returned in July 2010, and left again in August 2010. In December 2010, Giles appeared on Celebrity Mastermind where her specialist subject focused on the works of Alfred Hitchcock. Giles returned to Emmerdale in the Autumn of 2012.
