If the everyday Walford drama isn’t enough to whet your appetite, BBC Three is rolling back the years with a special evening to celebrate 20 years of EastEnders’ Denise Fox.
Monday, 11 May will mark two decades since Diane Parish first played the feisty, much-loved salon owner, though Denise wasn’t her first role on the soap. Back in 1998, she played singer Lola Christie for six months.
A selection of episodes will be broadcast between 8pm and 11pm, and will be followed by a documentary that surrounded the ‘Manosphere’ storyline, which was fronted by Parish.
While the episodes aren’t the most obvious representation of the star’s stellar two decades in Albert Square, some highlights include Denise’s exposé of serial killer husband Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet), and the time she unwillingly became one of six Walford women to be entwined in the murder of Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) at Christmas 2023.
To cap off the evening, there’s a reminder of the time Denise was torn between Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara).
Here’s a look at every instalment that’s being repeated during BBC Three’s retrospective:
Classic EastEnders: 20 Years of Denise Fox
8pm: Lucas Johnson’s downfall (2010)
Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker), Libby and Chelsea Fox (Belinda Owusu and Tiana Benjamin) are gobsmacked when Denise reappears, presuming that she was dead. Little did they realise, murderous Lucas had held her hostage in a squalid basement, making it appear that she’d committed suicide.
Chelsea is initially furious, believing that her mum is the murderer. Amid Denise’s pleas of innocence, Lucas returns and believes that they can start afresh.
A tense battle between the Fox-Truemans and Johnson ensues, and the police swarm on the Square.
Trapped in the Minute Mart storeroom with Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), he opens up about his breakdown and the pair find common ground.
During a discussion about relationships, they share a kiss, and Denise admits that she doesn’t want to be lonely anymore. She soon realises that Ian is asleep, and has missed her emotional speech.
9pm: Keanu Taylor dies on Christmas Day (2023)
In the climax of a long-awaited flash-forward, Denise, Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) and Suki Panesar’s (Balvinder Sopal) lives are permanently changed following a shock death.
Twisted Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) bursts his way into The Vic and is knocked unconscious by Denise with a champagne bottle.
The women’s situation worsens following the arrival of Keanu, who attempts to throttle Sharon and is stabbed in the back by Linda using a meat thermometer.
10pm: Denise is torn between Jack Branning and Ravi Gulati (2025)
A big part of last year’s 40th anniversary celebrations was the viewer vote that allowed fans to decide whether Denise would return to faithful ex-partner Jack, or be tempted by a future with rough and ready Ravi.
Torn between two lovers, Denise witnesses a tense confrontation between them both in The Vic, further adding to her stress.
10.30pm: Joel Marshall’s behaviour escalates (2025)
Following a violent incident at Walford High, which involved troubled teen Joel Marshall (Max Murray) attacking Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd), the community are drawn together to discuss the events of the day.
With conflicting opinions regarding misogyny firing from both sides, Denise finds herself caught in the crossfire when Jack launches himself towards Joel.
Ahead of the doof doofs, Joel leaves his dad’s girlfriend Vicky Fowler (Alice Haig) for dead following a brutal attack.
11pm: EastEnders Investigates: The Manosphere (2025)
Diane Parish, Max Murray and Ellie Dadd explore the issues raised by Joel’s misogyny storyline.
On the way, they meet individuals whose lives were turned upside down when they became entwined in the ‘Manosphere’ and discover those who are trying to change the narrative.
This predecessor to Louis Theroux’s recent Netflix hit Inside the Manosphere is well worth a watch.
Read more:
- 5 EastEnders spoilers next week: Bea Pollard exposed and danger for Mark Fowler
- EastEnders confirms return of S Club 7 star for Nigel Bates’s emotional funeral scenes
- EastEnders reveals Vicki and Zack’s blackmailer in early BBC iPlayer release – and it’s not who you’d expect
EastEnders: 20 Years of Denise airs Monday, 11 May on BBC Three.
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