Devastating EastEnders death confirmed in Denise’s heart-breaking cancer story
Hearts broke across the nation when Denise Fox (Diane Parish) was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in EastEnders.
The fierce matriarch of the Fox-Trueman clan has faced her fare share of horrors during her time in Walford.
And no, we’re not just talking about that time she was engaged to Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt).
After experiencing chronic fatigue and other unusual symptoms, and spurred on by Sam Mitchell’s (Kim Medcalf) bravery in facing her own health battle head on, Denise went to the doctors, but what she learned rocked her to her very core.
As she tried to process the news, she revealed her diagnosis only to Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter), before burying her head in the sand, intent on focussing on her daughter, Chelsea (Zaraah Abrahams), who’s son Jordan Fox (Jahsaiah Williams) had been knocked down by Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), despite the doctors pleas that urgent treatment was necessary and time was absolutely not on their side.
Even her terrified partner, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), couldn’t tear her from Chelsea’s side, even as he practically begged her to immediately head to the hospital and begin the treatment.
As she finally faced up to the seriousness of her predicament, she let the remaining members of her family know, and planned to head to hospital, where she’d have to stay in isolation for a month.
Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu), Diane’s youngest daughter, returned to be by her mum’s side, and also be tested as a potential bone-marrow donor, alongside the rest of the family.
With Denise away, though, she’s been completely unaware of the appearance of Sheila Atkins (Sheila Ruskin), the nan of Jordan’s dad, crazed serial killer Gray Atkins’ (Toby-Alexander Smith), who’s generous cash donations have seen her bypass the concerns of Chelsea, Kim Fox and Howie Danes (Tameka Empson and Delroy Hugh Atkinson), and be allowed access to Jordan.
Despite her protestations to the contrary, Sheila is still very much in touch with Gray.
While the family have kept Denise in the dark about Sheila, she has a secret of her own: she’s been told that her treatment hadn’t been as successful as the hospital had hoped and she’ll have to undergo another round.
After struggling to get used to being back at home, Denise visits the hospital where she’s met with the deeply upsetting news that a friend she’d made while staying there has sadly passed away.
Heading home, deeply distressed, she’s further troubled to see Sheila with Jordan, with Libby being forced to explain the truth about what’s been going on. Demanding a conversation with her, Denise banishes both Chelsea and Libby and sets about interrogating Sheila.
Later in the week, she admits to Jack that the treatment didn’t work, but she forbids him from telling anybody, determined to plough all of her efforts into Libby’s going away party.
As Denise’s battle with cancer rages on, will she admit the truth of her situation to her family? And will her next absence allow Sheila to sink her claws further into Chelsea and Jordan?