EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders’ Denise Fox is welcomed back home by her loved ones next week, following a month of cancer treatment. But while things are tense in the family over Chelsea secretly accepting help from Gray Atkins’ nan Sheila, Denise too is hiding something from her nearest and dearest…
"It’s a frail Denise who steps back onto the Square, though her family think she’s on the road to recovery," begins our Walford insider. "But Denise doesn’t have the heart to tell them the brutal truth – her treatment hasn’t worked, and she’ll have to undergo another round."
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It's a struggle for Denise to settle back into home life. She’s tired and low as her family bustles around her, unsure what to do for the best. Meanwhile, after visiting the hospital Denise discovers that a fellow patient she befriended has died.
Grieving for her friend and terrified for her own future, Denise heads back to the Square, where she discovers that her family are hiding a secret from her…
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"Denise sees Jordan on the Square with Sheila, so Libby has to confess the truth – the woman is Gray’s nan," explains our source. "Denise is shocked to her core at the thought of anyone connected to twisted Gray being around her grandson.
"She may be weak, but Denise’s fearsome maternal instincts are as strong as ever. After tearing a strip off her family, Denise demands to meet Sheila immediately."
Things are tense as Sheila arrives, but Denise soon takes control. Asking Libby and Chelsea to leave, Denise gets down to business as she grills Sheila on her motives. Her daughters may have been taken in by Sheila, but Denise may not be fooled so easily.
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After taking on the Sheila issue, Denise turns her attention to her own situation. She and Jack’s relationship has been strained and Denise realises she must tell her husband the truth.
She reveals that the chemo hasn’t worked as well as they had hoped. As the news hits Jack like a ton of bricks, Denise forbids him from telling the family ahead of a leaving party for Libby.
"Denise again proves she’s a force to be reckoned with," states our insider. "But as she hugs her daughter goodbye and sends her on her way, what will Libby be returning to when she visits next? Denise is a born fighter, but is this the one battle she can’t win?"
For free and confidential support and information on blood cancer and life after a diagnosis, contact Blood Cancer UK online, by phone on 0808 2080 888 or via email at support@bloodcancer.org.uk.
EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
