The subtle Denise moment in EastEnders that you may have missed
Everything changed for Denise Fox
EastEnders shared a small moment in last night’s episode of the BBC One soap that viewers have recognised as a subtle nod to Denise Fox’s (Diane Parish) early days in Albert Square.
The beloved character was the focus of yesterday’s instalment as part of the show’s The Night that Changes Everything.
Last week, while Walford residents were enjoying the celebrations at Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw) and Vicki Fowler’s (Alice Haig) wedding, Denise had been summoned to the hospital.
The beloved Walford matriarch was left worried about her health after frequent bouts of overwhelming tiredness and, following some encouragement from Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf), she decided to go to the doctors.
Denise was asked to go to the hospital for a bone marrow aspirate test and learned in heartbreaking scenes afterwards that she has AML, which is a rare form of blood cancer.
Denise learned that she would require immediate treatment. She then took the bus home and silently attempted to process how quickly her world had shifted in that meeting.
As she wandered down the road, Denise arrived on George Street. To the left of her was a yellow door. While Denise didn’t glance up at it, fans of the show picked up on it representing when she first arrived in Albert Square.
In 2006, Denise moved into the top flat at 89 George Street with daughters Chelsea and Libby.
Nothing could’ve prepared Denise for all of the ordeals she’s been through in the 20 years she’s lived in Albert Square. Showing 89 George Street in the background of her processing even more news about her life was incredibly moving, and certainly a reminder that everything can change in a very short period of time.
Following the episode last night, star Diane Parish took to Instagram to share the moment as well.
With a picture of Denise walking past her old home in the post, Diane wrote alongside: ‘Die hard EastEnders fans will know the meaning behind that yellow front door for Denise…Did you notice?’.
Hitting the nail on the head, this fan said: ‘I thought this was George Street, where Denise and the girls first lived’.
Also within the comments, plenty of Diane’s followers shared heartfelt messages about her performance yesterday.
This person wrote: ‘As someone currently going thru breast cancer treatment, seeing the feelings of disbelief, anger, and kaleidoscope of emotions from Denise in tonight’s episode, it really resonated. You are an amazing actress, thankyou’.
Another shared: ‘Great episode. Amazing performance by you. My mum died from blood cancer so this will be a tough watch for me but I’m sure your portrayal is going to help a lot of people coming to terms with their own diagnosis and treatment’.
This fan summed up all of our thoughts and added: ‘Incredible and moving performance!!’.
After walking through George Street, Denise arrived at the salon, where she asked her smart speaker Iggy some questions about the condition. The show favourite was left incredibly emotional to learn of the survival rates for AML – and the even lower survival rates for Black people.
Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter), who had suspected Denise had something on her mind, entered the salon to get some answers.
Denise attempted to keep her diagnosis to herself, evading Yolande’s line of questioning and pushing her away but she was ultimately consumed with devastation at the mention of her young son Raymond, breaking down in Yolande’s arms.
