Denise Fox’s half-brother arrives in Albert Square next week, as Denise Fox’s half-brother arrives to a family in crisis, a secret paternity test threatens to upend Priya’s relationship with Ravi, and Alfie Moon’s party planning goes spectacularly wrong. Here is everything coming up on BBC EastEnders from Monday 24 to Thursday 27 August.
Denise Fox’s half-brother arrives, and almost walks straight back out
The Fox-Trueman family’s desperate search for a stem cell donor has been the heart of recent episodes, and next week it reaches a turning point. With Denise’s condition worsening, she is placed in a medically induced coma, and her family is beginning to despair.
The breakthrough comes when Kim discovers that Denise has a half-brother. The family tracks him down, and it falls to Kim to make contact. He agrees to meet them, which gives the family a sliver of hope at an otherwise bleak moment.
According to Radio Times, Denise’s half-brother is named Darnell Larson Jr, a detail that adds weight to what is shaping up to be one of EastEnders’ most emotionally charged storylines in some time. Darnell Larson Jr turns up to meet Jack and Kim, but the reality of why he has been contacted hits him hard. He agrees to see Denise regardless, yet is overwhelmed by the severity of her illness and quickly leaves.
That exit sends the storyline into its most dramatic stretch of the week. Denise is eventually brought out of her coma when she shows signs of improvement, but the doctors deliver more difficult news: her treatment is not working, and finding a stem cell donor is now desperately urgent. Jack tracks down Darnell Larson Jr again, this time with his daughter Grace in tow, but the encounter goes badly wrong. Jack returns to the hospital to break the news, and Kim, furious, lashes out at him.
Priya’s paternity secret, Alfie’s party disaster, and more
Away from Denise’s storyline, Priya is carrying a secret of her own. Pregnant and unsure whether Max or Ravi is the father of her unborn child, she enlists Jean’s help to obtain DNA samples from both men at the donor drive. She then quietly pursues a paternity test. By the end of the week, Priya and Ravi are declaring their love and making plans for the future, all while those test results remain unknown.
Alfie, meanwhile, has noticed that Kat seems upset after spotting her in footage from Bert and Ernie’s school project. Rather than speaking to her directly, he decides the solution is a Benidorm-themed party. The plan comes apart when a community officer arrives and shuts the whole thing down. Kat is horrified when they are threatened with a fine, and the situation worsens when Ria is injured at the party, prompting an angry Suki to threaten legal action against them.
Suki and Eve are dealing with their own difficult news: they learn that Ria’s mother may be preparing to seek custody. The tension spills over into a conversation with Vinny and Penny about the baby, as Suki struggles to process what it could mean for her family.
Penny, for her part, is keeping her own guilt carefully hidden. She and Vinny are preparing for their baby’s imminent arrival, but when Vinny brings Harry in to help with the plans, Penny finds it harder than ever to conceal what she knows.
Amy’s week takes a painful turn after Denzel rejects her when she makes a move on him, having been talked out of asking her out by Howie. A fragile Amy then bumps into Craig, and the two make plans to meet again. Meanwhile, Cindy, with Jack consumed by Denise’s crisis, turns to Oscar for help and instructs him to organise Max’s stag do, much to Max’s reservations.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One. Most episodes are also available from 6am on BBC iPlayer ahead of their TV broadcast.
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