EastEnders spoilers follow.
Two brand new characters are headed for Albert Square as the Fox-Trueman family rallies around Denise Fox following her devastating blood cancer ordeal. The EastEnders favourite was recently diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), an aggressive and fast-growing type of blood cancer.
Since receiving the news, Denise has undergone blood and platelet transfusions, as well as a gruelling month-long stint in hospital for an intensive round of chemotherapy. Although Denise has struggled to accept help from those around her, her loved ones have refused to let her face the diagnosis alone.
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Her daughter Libby Fox has even returned to Walford after years of absence to support her mother during the difficult period.
Now, the BBC soap has announced that two more members of Denise’s family will be arriving in Albert Square – although neither is someone she ever expected to meet. In upcoming scenes, Kim Fox makes a life-changing discovery, when she uncovers the existence of a half-brother Denise never knew she had.
Darnell Larson Jr will soon make his way to Walford, bringing an entirely unexpected brand of the Fox family with him. Absentia and Fleabag actor Christopher Colquhoun joins the line-up as Darnell, and is expected to make his debut later this summer. But he won’t be settling into the Square alone.
As the Fox family come face-to-face with their new relative, they also meet his daughter Grace, played by Krysstina Frempong. The actor previously appeared in Netflix comedy-drama Too Much before landing her new role in EastEnders.
Speaking about joining the cast, Christopher said: “I am thrilled to be finally moving to Walford after all these years, and the welcome I’ve received has been phenomenal. Hearing I’d got the role was an absolute doof doof moment for me. Hopefully there’ll be plenty more of those to come!”
Krysstina echoed her own excitement, unveiling her personal connection with the BBC soap: “I have watched the show for as long as I can remember and have such vivid memories of gathering around the TV with my family, especially at Christmas, to watch all the drama unfolding on the Square, so it feels pretty surreal to now be a part of the action!”
Darnell’s arrival is already set to be complicated enough, but his introduction will take an even greater significance when he learns about Denise’s cancer diagnosis.
Meanwhile, Denise isn’t the only EastEnders character set to welcome a new branch of her family. The soap has also been preparing to introduce new faces connected to Nicola Mitchell. Viewers recently saw Nicola sharing a phone call with her sister Gemma, paving the way for the arrival of her wider family, beyond the Mitchells.
Gemma Hawkins (portrayed by Patricia Potter, perhaps best known for her role as Diane Lloyd in Holby City) will soon arrive in Albert Square, along with her husband Ned Roper (Beyond Paradise star Jamie Bamber), and son Ryder (Felix Uff).
They will be joined by mother Rose (Marian McLoughlin) and Nicola’s sister Jodie (Anna Constable), bringing the number of new Mitchell arrivals to five. Albert Square could be set to become busier than ever – but what kind of impact will these new characters have?
EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
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