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EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders viewers have been moved by Denise Fox’s heartbreaking storyline over the last few months, with the iconic Albert Square character recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia.
This week’s episodes are particularly harrowing, as Denise’s infection turns into sepsis and she is put on a ventilator to help her breathe, to the devastation of her husband Jack and the Fox-Trueman family.
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There is renewed hope of a life-saving stem cell transplant as Denise’s long-lost sibling is tracked down. However, with her sister Kim preparing to marry Howie next month, there is still doubt about whether she will be there to watch them tie the knot.
Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy, actor Diane Parish explains the role that her character Denise will play in the big wedding, as well teasing the introduction of her half-brother Darnell this week and the future of her and Jack’s relationship.
Check out our video with Diane at the top of the page, then read our full DS Q&A below…
Hi, Diane! Things are really scary for Denise at the moment…
“The scenes that are coming up, especially stuff this week, it starts to get very critical, it starts to get really tough. I think that the more the symptoms start to show themselves, not just for Denise but for the family members, the more frightened they get.
“And I think when you’re going through anything, if you see other people’s strength and fortitude when you’re going through something, you tend to be able to hold it together better. I think once she starts seeing the fear in other people, then she realises that there’s real facts she has to face here that this might not work out for her.
“So it’s a little bit of a penny dropping for her, that this is seriously real, and some acceptance is going to have to kick in, as well as the fear.”
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There is a bit of hope though, in the form of Denise’s half-brother Darnell. What has it been like to expand the Fox-Trueman family?
“Oh, it’s been great. It’s been great to welcome them in. Chris [Colquhoun, who plays Darnell] is a fantastic actor, as people know, people know him from Casualty. I know him from years ago, I went to drama school with Chris.
“So that was quite strange seeing him – I won’t say how many years later, quite a few! But he has blended in beautifully, he gets on great with Scott [Maslen, who plays Jack], Tameka [Empson, aka Kim], myself, and Rudolph [Walker, who plays Patrick].
“So it’s going to be interesting to see, because Denise having a male sibling is a very brand-new dynamic. It’s always been Kim and Denise – and it still is Kim and Denise. But we’re going to have to take care of this very odd little brother now!”
How will Darnell come in between this dynamic – or will he?
“No he won’t, and at the moment, he hasn’t. At first, it’s difficult for him, because the circumstances that he joins in with us are quite pressurising for him. So it’s very difficult for him to find his place as a sibling at first, because he’s under pressure. So he doesn’t particularly want to spend a lot of time with us. He’s awkward. I think that sums up Darnell at first – awkward!”
There’s also Darnell’s daughter Grace…
“I haven’t worked much with Grace yet, we haven’t done many scenes together. But she seems like a very sweet, intelligent character and girl. And so I’m interested to see her dynamics with some of the other younger actors around the Square.
“She’s a very mature character, she’s very mature for her age. She seems to take care of her father. So I think Denise is quite intrigued by her, and she sees a little bit of Fox in that girl!”
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We’ve also got Kim’s wedding coming up. What can you say about Denise’s role in this?
“Kim’s desperate for Denise to attend her wedding, and I don’t think she’s completely on board with going ahead with it as planned, because something’s missing for her. For Denise, she just wants her sister to have an amazing day, she just wants to be a part of it somehow. So for her, it’s like, ‘go and do it, I want you to do it, it’s going to make me happy if you’re happy.’
“Because there is that thing where that’s your vicarious joy. It comes from others, it can’t come from you stuck in a hospital ward with tubes everywhere and feeling nauseous and grotty.
“Seeing Kim look beautiful and marry the love of her life is everything to her. Because Denise loves Howie – he’s done some things wrong, but she thinks he’s lovely! She thinks he’s perfect for Kim. So she’s delighted for it to happen.”
After a few bumps in the road, Denise and Jack are solid as a couple now. Will that continue in the coming weeks and months?
“People forget vows are ying and yang, this and that, it’s for good and for bad, for better and for worse. And Jack and Denise, they are the emblem of that kind of marriage – for better, for worse.
“This is part of the worse, and they will stick it out, they ride it. It’s rollercoaster, whatever it is with Denise and Jack. But they really are exploring an area of their relationship that they haven’t explored yet, which is full commitment and deep love.
“No matter what, whether she’s being sick, whether she’s lost her hair, whether she doesn’t get to spend the night with him or have meals with him round the table, she’s his wife, and he’s her husband. I think it’s beautiful that we showcase that in EastEnders – that marriages work, even when there’s all these affairs! It should last, I hope.”
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.