EastEnders airs distressing cliffhanger for Denise Fox in early BBC iPlayer release

EastEnders has aired distressing scenes for Denise Fox (Diane Parish) as her mental health took another terrifying turn.

Having begun to see hallucinations of Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) after helping to cover up his murder last Christmas, Denise's mind continued to play tricks on her when Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff) tried to talk to her about the missing murder weapon.

Seeking salvation, Denise paid another visit to her serial killer ex-husband, Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet) and confessed to burying a body and insisted that the devil was after her.

Lucas ultimately refused to believe that Denise was capable of such a thing, and when she ran off, convinced that Johnny was coming for her that very night, Lucas called Denise's husband Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) to express his worry about her.

Jack was on the brink of leaving Denise, though his secret lover Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) urged him not to after Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) ordered her to finish the affair for the sake of protecting The Six's secrets.

Stacey was guilt-ridden over sleeping with Jack while knowing that Denise was likely suffering from psychosis, and she tried to explain to insensitive Jack just how ill his wife had become.

After returning home, Denise left stepchildren Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) and Ricky Branning (Frankie Day) scared and panicking. When Denise announced that she was fleeing to protect them all, Amy persuaded her to let her come with her.

Denise drove erratically as Amy grew more distressed, and after swerving to avoid an oncoming car, Denise decided to leave the car. Amy refused to go and begged Denise to stay with her in the warm, but she ignored her.

As Denise wanders alone through the dark woods, muttering bible verses to herself for comfort, will she be found and brought to safety?

Anyone affected by Denise's story can visit Mind UK, where you can find support for psychosis, or call the helpline on 0300 123 3393.

Read more:

• Did Dean Wicks steal the missing murder weapon in EastEnders?
• EastEnders' Denise Fox makes shock move in early BBC iPlayer release
• EastEnders airs twist for Johnny Carter and The Six in anniversary episode early release
• EastEnders airs horrific revelation in George Knight special episode early release
• 6 EastEnders spoilers: Denise Fox’s mental health reaches crisis point

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.