Joy finally arrives for the Fox-Trueman family in EastEnders next week as young Jordan Fox (Jahsaiah Williams) returns home following his car accident. But in classic soap fashion, their happiness is short-lived when they receive devastating news concerning Denise Fox (Diane Parish).
After Denise's blood cancer diagnosis earlier this month, the hair salon owner postponed starting urgent treatment to support her daughter Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams), who kept a bedside vigil for her son Jordan. However, once her family learned of her leukaemia, they managed to convince her to seek the medical attention she desperately needed.
Meanwhile, as Jordan lay in hospital after being hit by Ian Beale's (Adam Woodyatt) car during Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) and Ross Marshall's (Alex Walkinshaw) wedding celebrations, matters grew more complicated when Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu) reached out to Shelia (Sheila Ruskin) – the grandmother of Jordan's murderous father, Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith).
Having endured a hellish few weeks, the Fox-Truemans prepare for Jordan's return as Chelsea considers whether to allow Sheila into the youngster's life. There is jubilation when Jordan later returns home, but the celebratory moment is cut short when Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) arrives from the hospital and reveals that none of the family is a stem cell match for Denise.
Chelsea is particularly distraught by the news that she cannot be a donor for her sick mum and seeks solace at the café. However, she is stunned to find Sheila already sitting there. Surprisingly, Sheila manages to offer comfort to Chelsea in her moment of distress, leading Chelsea to make a snap decision that it is time for Sheila to meet Jordan.
Having made the decision in such a highly emotional state, will it be one Chelsea lives to regret? With Gray's unexpected return to EastEnders imminent, it certainly seems that way.
Upcoming EastEnders episodes
EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 22nd June at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer.
