EastEnders newcomer Christopher Colquhoun has revealed a sad secret about his character, Darnell Larson Jr, ahead of his dramatic debut in Albert Square as the character is involved in Denise Fox’s storyline.
Earlier this month, the BBC soap announced that two new characters would be heading to Walford as part of the arc, which saw the popular character diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), an aggressive form of blood cancer.
In next week’s scenes, Denise takes a turn for the worse and is put in a coma as her family searches for a stem cell donor. Hope arrives, thankfully, when they discover that her long-lost half-brother could be a match.
The family tracks down Darnell and Kim makes contact, asking him to meet. Darnell is shocked to learn that his help could be vital to Denise’s survival. After agreeing to go to the hospital, though, he is scared off and makes a hasty exit.
Jack later tracks him down in a bid to persuade him to help Denise, but when he finds Darnell and his daughter Grace, tensions soon boil over in the family unit.
Asked about his character, Colquhoun called Darnell a “science buff and single dad” who is “a bit nerdy, anxious, curious and full of enthusiasm”, adding: “Darnell is simply excited to discover a side of his family he never knew existed.
“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.”
Speaking about how his perspective changes once they explain Denise’s cancer diagnosis, Colquhoun said: “The penny drops and he suddenly realises, ‘Where’s my sister?’ But he’s not angry about being misled. Instead, he’s overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation.”
Teasing a sad back story for Darnell, the actor added: “As the story develops, we also begin to understand why hospitals are such a difficult and triggering environment for him.”
“Darnell likes Jack, but he doesn’t respond well to pressure or aggression. 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,” he added.
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?
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