EastEnders Bernie star drops three-word hint about soap return months after exit
EXCLUSIVE: Clair Norris has left EastEnders fans hopeful after dropping a three-word hint about returning as Bernie Taylor, months after stepping away from Albert Square
EastEnders Bernie Taylor left the show in July(Image: BBC)
EastEnders favourite Clair Norris has teased she could return to the BBC soap one day after leaving Walford in July.
The actress, who played fan favourite Bernie Taylor for eight years, has now revealed she is not ruling out a comeback and dropped a tantalising three word response when asked if viewers might see her back in Albert Square.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Star in collaboration with casino.org, Clair hinted: “Never say never.”
Asked whether she could see Bernie walking back onto the Square, she said: “Maybe. I mean, never say never. They bring people back all the time, but I think at the moment, I want to focus on other things.”
She has teased a potential return(Image: BBC)
Clair joined EastEnders back in 2017 as part of the Taylor family and quickly became a hit with fans thanks to Bernie’s warmth, humour and emotional storylines. The character was involved in everything from family drama and heartbreak to surrogacy and major friendship arcs.
Reflecting on her time on the soap, Clair admitted it is impossible to pick just one standout moment after spending almost a decade in Walford.
“That’s such a hard one because there are just so many… It’s eight years’ worth of memories!” she said.
One era she remembers especially fondly is Bernie’s surprising friendship with kindly neighbour Mr Murray, played by Christopher Timothy.
“I really loved the Bernie and Mr Murray era. Working with Christopher Timothy was such a joy,” she said. “One random fond memory that comes to mind is the whole chess thing. After The Queen’s Gambit came out, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s where we’re going with this!’ I really loved their friendship. It was so genuine and sweet.”
Clair is looking to new ventures(Image: Instagram/ @clair_norris)
She then revealed a behind the scenes secret which fans of the storyline will love.
“The funny part was that we had no idea how to actually play chess. We just had to move specific pieces around the board. We had diagrams of where we had to move and what pieces. It was a whole thing. It was like choreography, and then you had to remember your lines on top of that! But I really enjoyed that.”
Clair also looks back fondly on being part of The Six storyline, one of the soap’s biggest story arcs in recent years.
“And towards the end, I also loved The Six era. That was challenging, but so much fun to be a part of.”
