Denise Fox’s (Diane Parish) half-brother Darnell Larson makes his EastEnders debut next week, but his arrival on the scene will prove to be an emotional rollercoaster for her desperate family.
Earlier this month, it was announced that actor Christopher Colquhoun would be joining the BBC soap as Denise’s long-lost sibling amid her current blood cancer storyline.
Currently, Denise and her loved ones are desperately looking for a stem cell donor who could help save her life after she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in May.
With daughters Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) and Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu) having previously been ruled out as suitable matches, forthcoming scenes see her family renew their efforts to help Denise by holding a donor drive at the community centre.
However, they are beside themselves with worry when Denise’s condition worsens, and she’s put in a medically induced coma.
With the stakes running high, there’s a glimmer of hope when they discover a missed lead from an ancestry website that reveals Denise has a half-brother she never knew about.
Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) and Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) both launch frantic hunts to track Darnell down, and when they eventually do find him, he agrees to meet them unaware of why they’ve reached out.
‘Darnell is simply excited to discover a side of his family he never knew existed,’ says Christopher Colquhoun, who plays Darnell.
‘He’s naturally open and trusting, so he doesn’t spend time questioning why they’ve reached out to him. He wants to get to know them and, in typical Darnell fashion, almost loses sight of the bigger picture because he’s so fascinated by the connection itself and doesn’t even question why Denise isn’t there.’
Darnell is unprepared for the truth when it is revealed, left reeling by the news of Denise’s illness.
While he eventually agrees to visit his newfound half-sister, the experience proves overwhelming, and he makes a hasty exit.
‘He’s not angry about being misled. Instead, he’s overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation, especially having only just learned Denise exists,’ Christopher explains. ‘As the story develops, we also begin to understand why hospitals are such a difficult and triggering environment for him.’
Meanwhile, there’s a moment of relief when Denise is brought out of her coma, but any happiness is short-lived as doctors soon inform her family that her treatment is not working as hoped, making the hunt for a stem cell donor even more urgent.
Jack becomes increasingly determined to find Darnell and talk him into helping Denise, but Christopher reveals his character ‘doesn’t respond well to pressure or aggression’.
‘When he’s pushed, his instinct is to withdraw rather than fight back,’ he says. ‘That leaves Jack in a difficult position because Darnell represents a rare source of hope for Denise and the family – it’s all or nothing for them at this point.’
With emotions running high, those closest to Denise are left fearing they may have lost their biggest chance of helping her after Jack returns to the hospital with bad news…
But with Darnell and his daughter Grace (Krysstina Frempong) set to make more appearances in the coming weeks, could he have a change of heart?
HOT NEWS!!! EastEnders confirms major character is pregnant leaving flashforward mystery ‘solved’
EastEnders spoilers follow for Wednesday’s (August 19) episode, which can now be streamed on BBC iPlayer. The episode in question will air at 7:30pm.
Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) made quite the discovery hours after ending her affair with Max Branning (Jake Wood) – and it may shed some light on one of the big flashforward mysteries.
The fan-favourite character, as viewers know, has been sleeping with Max, who is due to wed Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) in the coming weeks.
Cindy remains in the dark about lothario Max’s betrayal and roped Priya in to assist with her hen do.
Priya, meanwhile, was conflicted about her future as, feeling guilty over what they’ve done to Cindy was one thing but when ex Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) popped the question in a tearful moment, it left her certain that ending things with Max was the only logical conclusion.
Max was taken aback by her decision to put a stop to their dalliance but ultimately he realised it was for the best. While Priya weighed up if she truly wanted to marry Ravi, she headed to Cindy’s hen at The Vic – where things took an unexpected turn.
After feeling off all day, she threw up all over Cindy’s dress.
Later, we saw Priya sitting in the ladies loos with a pregnancy test in hand – and a shocked look on her face. She’s pregnant.
The question is: is the baby Max’s? If so, it would certainly add further fuel to the speculation that she is the pregnant woman in Max’s bed on New Year’s Day.
The BBC One soap, as fans will remember, aired a special flashforward episode in January, showcasing what New Year’s Day 2027 will look like on the Square.
On the day in question, Max is getting married to a mystery woman – but there is a pregnant woman sleeping in the bed beside him that’s not his bride-to-be.
With Priya now confirmed pregnant, will she prove to be the woman in question?
Be the first to comment on this article!