Beloved character Denise Fox (Diane Parish) faces another reminder of just how quickly her life has changed in EastEnders soon, as she removes her head wrap in the middle of her cancer treatment. Denise has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, a particularly aggressive form of blood cancer that requires urgent treatment.
Denise's Diagnosis and Initial Response
Reeling in the aftermath of this news, Denise decided to distract herself by supporting Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) following son Jordan's car accident. But after Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) had Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) urge her to begin treatment at once, Denise broke down in the Vic and confided in her loved ones, revealing her diagnosis. Denise told the kids that she would be in hospital for a month once treatment got underway, revealing that she has made a rota for them to all help out around the house in her absence, urging them to step up.
Struggling with Isolation
As her treatment continues, upcoming episodes will see Denise struggle in the middle of her isolation. This is a character who is always around her loved ones – being alone and in a hospital, unaware of everything that is going on back at home, is hitting her hard. A couple of days later, Denise is supported by a nurse as she emotionally removes her head wrap for the first time. Denise's treatment causes hair loss, so the removal of the head wrap and first look at how her appearance has changed is going to be a powerful, and yet devastating moment.
Speculation About a Tragic End
Fans have speculated that the heartbreaking storyline – which was penned to mark Denise's 20th anniversary on EastEnders – could have a tragic end. The character was mentioned in the flashforward episode earlier this year, which is set in 2027, but not seen. Actress Diane Parish, who has played Denise for a whopping 20 years, recently reflected on her soap alter-ego's diagnosis, and what impact it will have on Denise's family moving forward.
Diane Parish Reflects on the Storyline
'There are many characters in this show and, as actors, we just tell their stories. I see it like we're chess pieces on a board and we go with whatever the creators decide is best for the show, because they're looking at the bigger picture. It's the fickle finger of fate, but that's just like life isn't it?' Continuing her chat with TV Times, Diane said that she feels like she has had '100 different careers already from being in this show', adding that she feels 'so grateful and proud to be a part of it'. The star explained that one of the reasons why Denise delayed her treatment was because she feared that things would 'fall apart without her'. 'But now she's going to have to surrender herself to the people who are hopefully going to be able to save her life', she added. 'There are ripples throughout the whole family. You see that this isn't just happening to Denise, it's happening to everyone else who loves her, too. They've all been thrown into this huge storm. I want everybody to look out for what's coming – because it's unexpected.'
