![\"Denise](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_304233226-3fd5.jpg\")
\n\t\tDenise suffers a painful loss (Picture: BBC\/Jack Barnes\/Kieron McCarron)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tDenise suffers a painful loss (Picture: BBC\/Jack Barnes\/Kieron McCarron)<\/p>\n
Hearts broke across the nation when Denise Fox<\/a>\u00a0(Diane Parish<\/a>) was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)<\/a> in EastEnders<\/a>.<\/p>\n The fierce matriarch of the Fox-Trueman clan has faced her fare share of horrors during her time in Walford.<\/p>\n And no, we\u2019re not just talking about that time she was engaged to Ian Beale<\/a>\u00a0(Adam Woodyatt<\/a>).<\/p>\n After experiencing chronic fatigue and other unusual symptoms<\/a>, and spurred on by Sam Mitchell<\/a>\u2019s (Kim Medcalf<\/a>) bravery in facing her own health battle head on, Denise went to the doctors, but what she learned <\/a>rocked her to her very core.<\/p>\n As she tried to process the news, she revealed her diagnosis only to Yolande Trueman<\/a>\u00a0(Angela Wynter<\/a>), before burying her head in the sand, intent on focussing on her daughter, Chelsea<\/a>\u00a0(Zaraah Abrahams<\/a>), who\u2019s son\u00a0Jordan Fox (Jahsaiah Williams) had been knocked down<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0Ian Beale<\/a>\u00a0(Adam Woodyatt<\/a>), despite the doctors pleas that urgent treatment was necessary and time was absolutely not on their side.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tAsk Metro<\/p>\n Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about \u2013 powered by Metro and trusted publications.<\/p>\n Even her terrified partner, Jack Branning<\/a>\u00a0(Scott Maslen<\/a>), couldn\u2019t tear her from Chelsea\u2019s side, even as he practically begged her to immediately head to the hospital and begin the treatment.<\/p>\n \t\t 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\u2019d have to stay in isolation for a month.<\/p>\n Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu)<\/a>, Diane\u2019s youngest daughter, returned to be by her mum\u2019s side, and also be tested as a potential bone-marrow donor, alongside the rest of the family.<\/p>\n With Denise away, though, she\u2019s been completely unaware of the appearance of Sheila Atkins (Sheila Ruskin), the nan of Jordan\u2019s dad, crazed serial killer\u00a0Gray Atkins<\/a>\u2019 (Toby-Alexander Smith<\/a>), who\u2019s generous cash donations have seen her bypass the concerns of Chelsea, Kim Fox<\/a>\u00a0and Howie Danes\u00a0(Tameka Empson<\/a>\u00a0and Delroy Hugh Atkinson), and be allowed access to Jordan.<\/p>\n \t\t Despite her protestations to the contrary, Sheila is still very much in touch <\/a>with Gray.<\/p>\n While the family have kept Denise in the dark about Sheila, she has a secret of her own: she\u2019s been told that her treatment hadn\u2019t been as successful as the hospital had hoped and she\u2019ll have to undergo another round.<\/p>\n After struggling to get used to being back at home, Denise visits the hospital where she\u2019s met with the deeply upsetting news that a friend she\u2019d made while staying there has sadly passed away.<\/p>\n \t\t Heading home, deeply distressed, she\u2019s further troubled to see Sheila with Jordan, with Libby being forced to explain the truth about what\u2019s been going on. Demanding a conversation with her, Denise banishes both Chelsea and Libby and sets about interrogating Sheila.<\/p>\n Later in the week, she admits to Jack that the treatment didn\u2019t work, but she forbids him from telling anybody, determined to plough all of her efforts into Libby\u2019s going away party.<\/p>\n As Denise\u2019s 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?<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Denise,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_304233264-9679.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe family are overjoyed to see Denise (Picture: BBC\/Jack Barnes\/Kieron McCarron)<\/p>\n![\"Libby,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_304233273-66eb.jpg\")
\n\t\tDenise comes home (Picture: BBC\/Jack Barnes\/Kieron McCarron)<\/p>\n![\"Denise](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_304233114-26d6.jpg\")
\n\t\tDenise is given some upsetting news (Picture: BBC\/Jack Barnes\/Kieron McCarron)<\/p>\n
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\nMORE: All EastEnders spoilers for next week as shock ending to key story is revealed<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: Fearful Kim hides huge secret from Denise as she visits her in EastEnders<\/a><\/p>\n