Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu) has confirmed her exit from EastEnders, but her departure is overshadowed by tragedy as her mother Denise Fox (Diane Parish) faces a devastating setback in her battle with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
Denise's secret cancer battle
Denise had originally kept her diagnosis from her family, breaking down and revealing the truth only to Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter), who happened to be in the right place at the right time. Despite doctors making it clear that time was not on her side and that treatment needed to begin immediately, Denise hesitated after her grandson Jordan (Jahsaiah Williams) was knocked down by Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt). She felt her daughter Chelsea (Zaraah Abrahams) needed her more.
After much pushing from Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), Denise realised she couldn't run from the disease. She prepared to enter the hospital, where she would be isolated for a month while undergoing treatment.
Libby's return and Sheila's secret
On the Square, Libby sought to help Chelsea with her financial woes. Jordan's father, unhinged serial killer Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith), had a grandmother, Sheila Atkins (Sheila Ruskin), who had been sending cheques to support Jordan, but Chelsea had not cashed them. Libby got in touch with Sheila, initially causing friction between her and Chelsea and allowing Sheila the access to Jordan's life she craved.
Despite Sheila's declaration that she had no lasting connection to Gray, it turned out to be an enormous lie. Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) and Howie Danes (Delroy Hugh Atkinson) interrogated Sheila but bought into her act, though Kim remained terrified of Denise returning home to discover Sheila's presence.
Treatment failure and hidden truth
Next week, Denise finally finishes her treatment and is allowed to return home. Despite the Fox-Trueman family's joy, she is hiding another secret: the treatment hasn't worked as well as the doctors had hoped, and she will need another round. She is wounded further when she returns to the hospital and learns that her friend has passed away.
Later, Libby is forced to admit who Sheila is when Denise spies her in the Square with Jordan, leading to Denise's own attempt to interrogate her after banishing Chelsea and Libby. Later in the week, Denise finally admits to Jack that her treatment hasn't worked but flatly forbids him to tell the rest of the family. She is putting all her energy into throwing Libby a leaving party, and that remains her priority.
Libby's departure looms
Will Libby learn of the long road Denise still has to go in her battle with cancer before she departs? The storyline leaves viewers wondering how the family will cope with the dual blows of Libby's exit and Denise's ongoing fight.
