BBC EastEnders star breaks silence on 'upsetting' exit as final scenes filmed

Daily Record

2 days ago

EastEnders star Clair Norris has spoken out for the first time since it was announced that she would be leaving the BBC soap after eight years in the role of Bernie Taylor.
EastEnders star Clair Norris has confessed her departure from the show is "upsetting" as she opened up about leaving her role as Bernie Taylor for the first time. She first joined the BBC soap in 2017 and has seen her on-screen family members leave over the years.
With her character being axed this summer, her final scenes were filmed in April and will air later this year. At the British Soap Awards in London last week, Clair said: "Obviously it's upsetting. I'd been there for eight years, which is a long time to play a character, and I have absolutely loved being in the show."
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She acknowledged the experience she gained while working on EastEnders reports the Manchester Evening News, stating: "They gave me the opportunity to learn on the job and also now I am able to take that onto other things that I do."
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She continued in her conversation with the Sun: "Of course it's sad but at the same time it felt like a natural end, with the Taylors being gone, it kind of felt right. I'm now very excited about the future."
Clair felt that the decision to write out her character was inevitable after the rest of the Taylor family left Albert Square. She revealed that she kept some of Bernie's belongings as mementos, including her iconic coat, a Walford Pride t-shirt, and a birthday badge.
The specifics of her character's departure are being kept secret and firmly under wraps for now, but Clair hinted that Bernie will once again show off her more mischievous side.
She teased: "My exit is very Bernie, and it's back to bad Bernie. It's very dramatic, and must-watch. I've already filmed my exit and it will play out later this summer."
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When questioned about whether viewers can expect to see Bernie's mum Karen Taylor return to the show, Clair remained tight-lipped, saying: "I couldn't possibly say!"Maybe, maybe not, you'll all have to watch."
Clair's plans following her departure from the show are uncertain, as she said: "My plan is to work out what I want to do. 'EastEnders' is the only thing I've ever done, so all I know is soap. I came from college and went straight into it.
"I'm open to anything. I've just been on holiday which was great and the perfect timing. And now I'm back it's about getting cracking with show reels and self tapes."
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Elsewhere on the BBC soap, fans are convinced that Zack Hudson and Lauren Branning will fall pregnant after they shared a passionate night together.
Also in the Square, Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) was harshly confronted by her fiancé Peter Beale's (Thomas Law) anger over their son Jimmy Beale's severe sight impairment diagnosis, blaming Lauren's drug use during pregnancy.