Poor hot bereaved Nikhil ! He doesn't deserve being lumbered with that miserable, pasty-haired lemon-sucking misery that is Debola

****** shreik!!! Runs from star *****

Yes, I agree that he really does like her. He enjoys her company and the affection is genuine - it just isn't sexual. If she felt the same way, it would probably be the basis of a perfectly contented and happy marriage.

But, they both need to be on the same page and they aren't.

If he is not actually a particularly sexual man, for whatever reason and we could debate how much his aversion therapy might have affected that, and he and his wife stopped having sex after their children were conceived (just speculation, nothing has been said about that) then it is possible that he really doesn't know what a 'normal' sex drive is and therefore, it just won't have occurred to him that Berniece will not only want, but expect that to be part of any relationship, let alone marriage so doesn't know it needs to be talked about.

You could argue that is naive, and by today's sensibilities it is, but Lawrence is a lot older and it is more than possible that he has only had 2 relationships - Edna's Husband and then his wife so not dated since the sexual revolution of the 60s and 70s.

Haven't you just made an assumption here - at no point has the character ever told the viewers he is not sexually interested in Bernice.


Can't help but feel you're running away with this storyline before it's even unfolded.

I've been wondering if that will be the twist a bit further down the line? That he does fancy her rotten but is a bit 'old school' and doesn't want to 'disrespect' her before the wedding?
(Although him making a point of not kissing her on the lips even though they're engaged is perhaps stretching credibility a bit).

Too right Star! He's absolutely minted, anything else could be worked on or bollocks to it completely.

I'm not a regular ED viewer so I'm probably totally wrong but is Lawrence not Chrissie's father? I thought he was married but separated from his ex wife, so why is he behaving this way with Bernice?

Or like I would do take a lover

His wife is dead - I think she died quite a few years ago. He is Chrissie's father, yes.

I think it's the complete absence of bollock action that's the problem.

Yes, but you'd have to be careful. If you got found out you'd loose your luxury lifestyle. With that kind of wealth you could afford to jet off to somewhere well away from everyone for a week or so, on your own if you can come up with a convincing enough excuse. Safer than dragging the gardener in for a bunk up when everyone's out. Don't sh!t on your own doorstep.

^^^ Sorcha gets the idea

I think regardless of whether or not Lawrence is sexually attracted to Bernice, it' s clear that she' s feeling insecure about the whole thing, as would most of us if the person we were engaged to had us move in, and then take separate bedrooms. Lawrence needs to be honest with her about where he' s at in the relationship. They should have been discussing this before she moved in. It' s an odd step to take ( as is the engagement) when they' re still so tentative with each other. I think if it was a case of Lawrence purely being a gentleman he would have been open about that as soon as they got engaged. There' s something a lot more emotionally complicated going on, IMO and I' d be concerned that it' s more than Bernice can handle.

I did say a lot of it was speculation.

We do know that there has been no sexual contact so far and from the spoilers in the OP, it appears that Lawrence wants it to stay that way.

I'm not assuming anything, but speculating (huge difference) given the information we have so far.

I'm happy to see it unfurl on screen as I find it interesting and could go in a lot of different ways.

I think the whole thing just came on too quickly. One minute they're getting ready for their first date, the next minute they're buggering off to Australia together and coming back engaged. 'Whirlwind romances' generally involve a lot of lust.

But by now, if I were Bernice I'd certainly be having a word with Larry to find out exactly where I stood, especially as she knows about his past homosexual relationship. What's she waiting for? (Well obviously she's waiting for it to be in the script, but irl she'd have said something long ago).

I was never really a fan of Bernice but since she returned she really has been softened and even though I can never forget her deserting her kids I really do like her. I actually feel so sorry for her. She has such deep rooted insecurities that she feels only a man can placate, she sacrificed everything for love (even her daughters) yet she always puts her faith in the wrong man and ends up being humiliated and hurt.

Ashley loved her unconditionally yet he wasn't enough for her, I always felt that if Nicola Wheeler left the show, Bernice would be best placed with Jimmy but he really isn't her type, she can be shallow when it comes to men (Andy for his youth and good looks, Lawrence for his power and money) yet she really yearns to be loved and made to feel secure.

She's putting her best judgement to one side hoping Lawrence's affection and companionship can be made into something more but I fear Lawrence's backstory is going to unfold and leave Bernice once again hurt.

Poor Bernice

Yes exactly, this does seem to fit her character and history really well - and yes, poor Bernice. Sammi Giles is also doing a great job of showing Bernice's insecurity and need to be loved and spoiled.

It has been rushed, no question, but I think they're doing a pretty good job with this story at the moment.

In interviews with John Bowe and Samantha Giles, it seems like Lawrence does have genuine feelings for Bernice and Bernice does like Lawrence but Bernice is settling because she feels like she has no other options. I mean we saw Bernice go to Andy, asking him if he'd ever love her back and when he said no, she went to Lawrence.

But because of Lawrence's aversion therapy in prison, he's just not looking for a sexual relationship or something. So they're going the whole "sexless marriage" route. Of course he must of had a sexual relationship with Chrissie and Rebecca's mother or they wouldn't be alive, but I'm guessing that he loved her enough to get over his fears with her, while with Bernice his feelings aren't as strong.

Overall though it's completely rushed. They began interacting in July, got together in September, engaged in October and if cetain things are to be believed



It's gonna end in disaster. But it's nice they're finally giving John something to do and Samantha too. Although honestly I'd of much preferred the whole White family to have been written out now.

Poor Bernice, indeed. But I just don't have any belief in this story.

I like Bernice as a character and can imagine someone wanting to bed her, but she is just so silly. I cannot imagine Lawrence wanting an 'intellectual'/'companion' relationship with her.

To be fair, there’s no danger of anyone looking for an intellectual companion in Bernice!! That said, Lawrence is vain and possibly just as shallow as Bernice. He enjoys the attention he receives by having a glamorous and beautiful woman on his arm, and he certainly doesn’t want anyone to see it as merely an arrangement. Lawrence has deep rooted and very complex insecurities about his sexuality, like many gay men he feels shame and self loathing and is frustrated that he can’t rid himself of the desires which have brought him so much pain.

I came out 5 years ago, but still find it incredibly difficult to tell people I’m gay, or feel completely satisfied with who I am. I certainly wouldn’t go as far as Lawrence is to conceal my sexuality, but It’s something I feel I may never come to terms with, so on a personal level I really can see why he’s doing what he’s doing. It’s selfish and unfair, but to him he feels his arrangement benefits both him and Bernice even if he can clearly see Bernice is not entirely comfortable with it.

I can see Bernice asking Lawrence if he loves her and he'll say yes as he is obviously fond of her but she'll know he's not in love with her. Will she settle for that or leave him? I don't know. She might want the security of a rich man and a lovely home but as people have said she needs to feel desired. If she's not she'll be incredibly hurt, let down and will feel insecure. In a way it's partly her own fault as there is nothing sexual or romantic between them and she knows she wants more and isn't getting it. She's just putting it to the back of her mind to me. They are not communicating which is usually the death knell for a relationship. I can see her sleeping with someone else and then we'll see what Lawrence feels and does about that.

Schoolboy error was moving into that Big House on 'Emmerdale.'

Already done for Chrissie + Robert ... Then there is Lachlan and his problems ... I swear there is some kind of Hex over the place which means families that move in there will not leave the same way! Could be a Halloween Horror Story for 'Emmerdale'?