Inside EastEnders Bernie star's life – glam snaps, second job and game show blunder

Clair Norris is best known as loveable EastEnders character Bernadette Taylor, who’s set to make her return to Albert Square after a brief hiatus.

The kind-natured character is currently pregnant with Stuart and Rainie Highway’s baby in a surrogacy deal she made to get extra cash for her broke family.

However, viewers last saw Bernie leaving Walford in October to go and stay with her brother Keanu Taylor for a while after her concerns for the future of the unborn infant grew when she was wrongly being led to believe that former addict Rainie was back on drugs by Mick Carter.

Clair’s real life couldn’t be further from the dramatic one Bernadette leads, with a long-term boyfriend and glamorous nights out with friends keeping her busy in her spare time.

And the 24-year-old actress certainly looks worlds apart from her unkempt alter-ego.

EastEnders return

Speculation was rife that Clair was leaving Eastenders when she took a recent break from filming and was absent from the set.

However, she’s now set to return to the square on Tuesday, March 29, as her due date for Stuart and Rainie’s baby rapidly approaches.

Most recently viewers of the BBC one soap saw Bernie doubting Rainie’s ability to become a mum and demanding she take a drug test.

Bernie then grew even more concerned about her when she saw her making an exchange with Dotty Cotton’s drug addict mum Sandy Gibson.

The troubled teen was convinced what she saw was a drug deal taking place, meanwhile, Rainie was in turmoil over her drug test as she had been taking sleeping pills.

Talking about the storyline Clair recently said to Digital Spy:”I think that Bernie is overwhelmed with everything and definitely needs some time away to clear her head. She needs a break. I think it will do her good to get away and take care of herself and the baby for a bit. That’s her number one priority.

“We know Bernie will be returning to Walford, but who knows what she will be coming back to? She knows how much this is going to hurt Stuart and Rainie, but Bernie is determined to put the baby first.”

Love story

Clair has been dating her boyfriend Lewis Wood for almost four years. The pair celebrated their anniversary last year with a trip to Cornwall.

At the time she shared a touching snap of them on Instagram and wrote: “Three years of memories and a lifetime to come.

“Thank you for being my partner in crime. I love you endlessly…”

The loved-up couple are hoping to move in together next year. Clair confirmed their plans with an Instagram post after her mum bought them a gift that unintentionally had a very special meaning for both her and Lewis.

She explained: “My mum just bought this for me and @lewisswood for when we move out next year.

“No one has touched the numbers etc (literally just been bought). I noticed it said April 2nd which is a special day for three reasons…

“It’s my anniversary, it’s Lewis’s birthday and it’s the first time I ever saw Lewis.

“Long story short… I checked the dates and I met Lewis on Monday 2nd April 2018. What are the chances? Everything happens for a reason.”

Second job

During her hiatus Clair got to work on a mystery project, announcing the completion of her “second job” on social media.

She posted a short clip to her Instagram page and tagged her management company as she revealed her excited face pulling down her mask.

She wrote: “Filming for job 2 finished!”

According to IMDB one role Clair has filmed for 2022 is a character named Kerry in upcoming drama series Tell Me Everything which explores the effects of technology and social media on teenage mental health.

Quiz show fail

When Clair appeared on The Weakest Link in December last year she left her co-stars and host Romesh Ranganathan in hysterics after she fumbled her answer to one question.

Clair was asked: “Singer Cheryl and the actress Kate Winslet both gave birth to boys and named them after what animal?”

She then quickly responded “a pig”, instead of the correct answer – Bear. The blunder caused hysterics around the studio.

As Romesh ends the round, they all try not to laugh as he confirms they had banked a total of £850 out of a possible £2500 on offer. Wrapping up the round Romesh made reference to her mistaking stating: “And I am seriously going to think about calling my next kid Pig.”

Clair admitted: “I didn’t focus on the question!”

Romesh added: “You went there and said, I think someone would call their kid – not just pig – but a pig.”

Glam selfies

While we are used to seeing Bernie looking somewhat dishevelled and frumpy, Clair’s style is a different story.

The actress regularly posts glam selfies that are a stark contrast to the unflattering look Bernie adopts.

Clair regularly shares updates with her Instagram followers where she is unrecognisable to her on-screen persona.

The actress often wears her long hair down and in flowing silky styles and adds a touch of glamour with make-up and berry-toned lipsticks.

Fans regularly heap praise on her for her efforts.

EastEnders is on Mon-Thurs at 7.30 pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk