Tragic EastEnders secret explodes Kim and Howie’s engagement as the family reels
EastEnders’ Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) and Howie Danes (Delroy Atkinson) are full of jubilation following their recent engagement next week, but their happiness is short-lived when news of Denise Fox’s (Diane Parish) blood cancer diagnosis rocks their family.
Earlier this month, fans of the BBC soap saw beloved Walford favourite Denise learn that she has acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) – a fast-growing and aggressive type of blood cancer – in heartbreaking scenes.
So far, she has only shared the news with close friend Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) and husband Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), choosing to keep her health news a secret after her grandson Jordan Fox was knocked down during Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) and Ross Marshall’s (Alex Walkinshaw) wedding celebrations.
Denise has also ignored repeated calls from her medical team to begin urgent treatment, with Jack left in complete and utter despair at her refusal to listen to them.
However, next week, Denise is put under increased pressure to start treatment when her diagnosis is revealed during Kim and Howie’s engagement party.
It all begins to unravel on Monday, when Jack finds an unlikely confidante in Denise’s ex Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), and they consider how to get through to her.
Meanwhile, as the Fox-Truemans are rallying around to support Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) amid Jordan’s recovery, Denise spots Kim’s engagement ring, prompting her to reveal how Howie proposed following Jordan’s accident.
Denise insists the family must celebrate the good news, but she is later stunned when Phil confronts her about her diagnosis and throws him out.
Later that evening, everyone gathers at The Vic, but Denise panics when Jack and Phil arrive, fearing they’ll reveal her diagnosis to the rest of her family.
When Kim then makes a heartfelt speech, Denise struggles to contain her emotions and rushes to the toilets for a private moment.
A concerned Chelsea spots her mum’s distress and follows her, but is unable to get Denise to open up.
When Denise returns to the bar, she then leaves everyone shocked when she announces she has been diagnosed with cancer.
As her family struggles to process the news, Kim is upset to discover Yolande already knew, while Chelsea makes a call to her sister Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu), which sparks the character’s return to Walford later in the week.
With the news now finally out in the open, Denise later steadies herself to finally return the calls from the hospital before learning that she faces spending a month on the ward.
As she falters once again, will Denise’s loved ones be able to convince her to start the treatment she so desperately needs?
