EMMERDALE star Samantha Giles has blasted influencers, presenters and singers as a “real problem”.
The actress is fed-up with them nabbing jobs from trained performers, despite having little experience.
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The 54-year-old is gearing up to reprise her role as Bernice Blackstock in the ITV soap after departing the Dales in 2023.
But she has found it “much harder” to land acting jobs in the last two years – and blames a new wave of wannabe screen stars.
She said: “There are all these people who are going into acting but have never acted in their lives – presenters, influencers, singers.
“You have to compete with other actors and all these other people! I think that’s a real problem.”
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Several singers have landed roles in soaps over the years, including Kym Marsh, Keith Duffy and Shayne Ward in Coronation Street, Martin Kemp in EastEnders, and Duncan James in Hollyoaks.
Infamously, pro dancer brothers Curtis and AJ Pritchard landed roles in Hollyoaks in 2021, but they were blasted by trolls and some actors for their performances.
As well as losing out on roles to singers, presenters and influencers, Samantha has also bemoaned the increased use of self-tapes in the industry, insisting it has become “much harder” to land on-screen parts because producers can ask more actors to audition remotely.
She added to Woman magazine: “I think the business has changed a lot.
“Whereas 10 years ago you’d be offered things, a single episode on something, now you’re asked to audition and do self-tapes just for three scenes. It’s bizarre.
“I think it’s the self-tapes – they can ask 50 people to self-tape whereas before they wouldn’t ask 50 people into an audition room. So it’s got much harder.”
Since leaving Emmerdale in 2023, Samantha landed the part of Val in children’s TV show Football Fantastics, and she also shot a Christmas film, The Secret Santa Project, which is yet to air.
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