Bernie Stokes
SHE is the psychic who sparked outrage by telling a woman with cancer not to have chemotherapy, but Bernie Stokes was still giving out medical diagnoses at her latest gig on Friday.
Under-fire Bernie (34), describes herself as one of Ireland’s “leading clairvoyants” who is able to connect with the “spirit world”.
However, the mum-of-five failed to foresee the outrage that would be caused this week by the ‘advice’ she gave to a cancer sufferer.
The Tallaght native, who is a cousin of UFC fighter Conor McGregor, was slated on the national airwaves and social media this week for her dodgy medical advice.
The controversy was sparked after a caller to Joe Duffy’s Liveline programme told how the medium advised her mother not to let “chemo enter the body” after she received a “psychic message”.
Despite being “really upset” after the row, Bernie entertained more than 150 people in Navan with her “gift”.
The Sunday World paid €10 to attend her show in the Ardboyne Hotel on Friday night and witnessed the psychic talking to the other side. Although apologising for the upset she caused, we listened to Bernie making extraordinary medical claims.
“I’m not a doctor,” Bernie told the audience, before going on to make a medical diagnosis.
The psychic told one woman the “spirits felt” she had lumps on her breasts. The audience member confirmed she had found lumps and was waiting on the results of tests.
While saying the woman should get double-checked by doctors, Bernie believed it was nothing to worry about because the “other side” felt it was only cysts.
We witnessed other participants becoming really upset – some even breaking down in tears – with the psychic’s reading. Bernie even stopped the show at one point to conduct readings “off-mic” with emotional individuals.
However, she defended herself, telling the audience she must “tell the truth” and the message is “coming though her” from the spirit world.
The psychic also amazed the audience when she correctly predicted how a deceased man was remembered in the grounds of Manchester United.
When approached by the Sunday World after the show, Bernie agreed to talk to us on the phone the next morning.
However, Bernie did not respond to calls made on Saturday.
The Ploughman venue in Dublin cancelled her show scheduled for this Wednesday after reading “comments on a previous show elsewhere”.
Last week, one woman told RTE’s Liveline that the psychic had advised her relative to ignore medical advice and refuse chemotherapy.
However, Bernie denied ever mentioning the issue of chemotherapy or treatment to the woman’s family.
“I want to apologise. I am devastated for the family that I got her diagnosis wrong,” she told RTE presenter Joe Duffy.
Bernie’s husband of 13 years defended the psychic when confronted by the Sunday World at their home in Mullingar.
James Pepper said there is “only so much” backlash they can take and how their children have been troubled in school.
“They are getting it off people in school now. People are literally delusional. They don’t know the good work she has done to help people,” said James.
“The past four days has taken a big strain on us. To make out that she’s such a bad person isn’t right. She’s in bits, we all are.
“People putting messages on Facebook – they don’t know her as a person. They were saying she takes €2,000 a show… that’s not the case. Some shows you might get 70 people and then after Bernie pays everybody else she gets nothing. She’s made out to be some sort of money grabber… that’s not the case.”
Bernie has over 28,000 fans on Facebook and has a waiting list for private readings – which costs €70. She discovered she had a “gift” when she was just five-years-old and has travelled the country with her shows.
James believes the controversy was not warranted because his wife has helped thousands of people.
“It was all blown out of proportion. She already apologised to the family for what she said. There’s not much more she can do now. She’s a genuine person.
“The raffle that Bernie does at her shows goes to charity, she doesn’t get it.
“She gets paid a wage, the vat man gets his money, and the door staff and the venue get deposits. She’s not one of these people that’s just going to talk crap and take their money… she’s not that person,” he added.
James said that Bernie “just wants to let it all pass” and has offered to the meet the family affected to apologise.
“There’s no way of proving that Bernie did or didn’t say it. She’s not a doctor, but she did tell the girl to go and get a second opinion.
“She’s offered to meet these people, shake their hands and apologise – what else can she do?
“The whole story is just a big mess. It’s really hurt her,” James said.
By Martin Grant