Denise Fox (Diane Parish) received devastating news in EastEnders as her treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) proved unsuccessful, requiring a second round. The matriarch of the Fox-Trueman family had initially buried her head in the sand after her diagnosis, focusing instead on her daughter Chelsea (Zaraah Abrahams) after Chelsea's son Jordan (Jahsaiah Williams) was hit by Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt).
Denise’s secret struggle
Despite the urgency of her condition, Denise only revealed her diagnosis to Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) at first. Her partner Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) begged her to start treatment, but she refused to leave Chelsea's side. Eventually, she informed her family and entered hospital for a month of isolation. During that time, her daughter Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu) returned to be tested as a potential bone marrow donor.
While Denise was away, Sheila Atkins (Sheila Ruskin), the grandmother of Jordan's father—the late serial killer Gray Atkins—appeared in Walford. Sheila's generous cash donations bypassed the concerns of Chelsea, Kim Fox (Tameka Empson), and Howie Danes (Delroy Hugh Atkinson), allowing her access to Jordan. Despite her denials, Sheila remains in contact with Gray.
A shocking setback
After returning home, Denise visited the hospital and learned that a friend she had made there had passed away. Distressed, she then saw Sheila with Jordan and demanded an explanation from Libby. Denise confronted Sheila, banishing Chelsea and Libby from the room. Later, she admitted to Jack that the treatment had not worked but forbade him from telling anyone, determined to focus on Libby's going-away party.
As Denise's cancer battle continues, the question remains: will she reveal the truth to her family? And will her absence allow Sheila to further manipulate Chelsea and Jordan?
