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EastEnders airs life-changing discovery and tragic health development for Denise Fox in early BBC iPlayer release

Warning: Contains spoilers for Monday's episode of EastEnders, which airs at 7:30pm on BBC One or can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.

Diane Parish as Denise Fox in EastEnders, in a hospital bed wearing a blue head covering and looking weak.

BBC

Published: Monday, 24 August 2026 at 12:58 pm

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Denise Fox (Diane Parish) is bravely fighting a losing battle against cancer in EastEnders, and in today’s episode, it seems she’s finally run out of options.

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Queen Dee hasn’t seen much of Albert Square lately, having spent the majority of her time in hospital since her heart-breaking acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosis back in May.

The cancer has proven resistant to treatment and has taken its toll on Denise both physically and mentally. Her hair is falling out, she’s constantly nauseous, and is forced to sleep in a separate bed from her partner Jack Branning (Scott Maslen).

The Fox-Truemans have done their best to support their Mama Bear and shield her from the drama that comes with living in Walford – with limited success. When her grandson suffered life-changing injuries after being struck by Ian Beale's (Adam Woodyatt) car, Dee was there for support.

When her daughter Chelsea Fox’s (Zaraah Abrahams) serial-killing ex Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith) and his grandmother Sheila tried to take Jordan out of the country, Dee saved the day. She even delayed her treatment to help Chelsea look after Jordan.

Scott Maslen as Jack Branning in EastEnders, hugging Raymond in hospital.

Jack was left devastated by Denise's turn for the worse in today's episode. BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

This decision has proven costly. Now Denise’s cancer is not responding to chemotherapy, and doctors have informed Denise that a stem cell transplant is her best chance for survival. Cue the Fox-Trueman clan springing into action to find a donor. But will they track down a match in time?

Today’s episode (Monday 24 August) kicked off with Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) organising a donor drive and encouraging every Walford resident to get tested, while Denise’s sister Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) and family friend Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) scoured ancestry websites for a match.

Kim didn’t hold out much hope, but Yolande is convinced that miracles do happen, especially when the community gets involved.

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Unfortunately, Denise’s condition took a horrifying turn for the worse when she struggled to breathe. The doctor made it clear that a medically induced coma is the only way to save her life.

With seconds to say goodbye, Denise made a devastated Jack promise to tell her family that she loves them before losing consciousness.

Jack returned to the Square in pieces. But just as things seemed at their darkest, a missed lead from an ancestry website offered a glimmer of hope.

Through an ancestry website, Kim discovered a potential donor with a 25 per cent DNA match – Denise’s long-lost half-brother, Darnell Larson Jr (Christopher Colquhoun). Will this newcomer be the answer to Dee’s prayers before it’s too late?

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Authors

Jon BoamFreelance soaps writer

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