View Poll Results: Is Denise dead

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  • Yes, Ithink Denise is dead

    4 8.33%
  • No, I don't think Denise is dead

    44 91.67%
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Thread: Denise (Diane Parish)

  1. #71
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    Cool Denise (Diane Parish)

    Following weeks of intense speculation and discussion, EastEnders fans finally discovered tonight that Denise Johnson is still alive and being held captive by Lucas. The Walford mum appeared to have been killed off earlier this month after a violent confrontation with Lucas was closely followed by the discovery of what appeared to be her body. However, tonight's shock twist changed everything and had been kept closely under wraps by the show's producers in the weeks leading up to transmission. Ahead of the reveal episode going to air, Digital Spy caught up with Denise actress Diane Parish for an exclusive chat about being at the centre of such a talked-about storyline.

    How long ago were you first told about this big twist with Denise, and what was your reaction?
    "That's an interesting one! I knew obviously that the Lucas story was going to come to a head at some point and some point soon, and when I first met [executive producer[ Bryan [Kirkwood] he said that he was going to start handling the storyline by focusing on how Denise felt about Lucas and gradually building in her suspicion and her fear of him. So we were doing all that kind of stuff, but I was never told [about the twist] at any point early on. But then I phoned Bryan about something completely unrelated and he went, 'Oh by the way - this is going to happen!' When I actually picked my jaw up off the floor and had a little think about it, I thought, 'Oh, that's actually really cool!' It's very exciting and I didn't for one minute think that it would cause such debate among people! It's a while ago now that he told me, but it wasn't that long until we shot it. I found out that we were going to do this, and within a week and a half, we were getting on with it and doing it."

    Denise's apparent death was screened way back on July 8 - what's life been like for you between then and now?
    "Well this is the thing - with my big head walking down the street, people have come up to me every five minutes. Just now I went into the pound shop and this fella was going, 'Are you dead? Is it really true, are you dead?' It's been weird because it's been like telling a lie for four weeks. And then there's people like my poor old mum - she's had to lie, because she knows that I'm getting up and going to work. There are people going to her, 'Your daughter's left EastEnders! She's gone!' So my mum's having to lie as well, my poor old mum!"

    What exactly did you say to people when they asked about Denise?
    "I've had to lie. People try to catch you out. People are quite funny, they go, 'Oh right, I didn't see you last week, I expect you were working?' I've had to say, 'No, no, I'm not working'. I've had to lie about whether I actually go to work and where I've been! It's been like having another man or something! It's been quite tricky to come up with things, but mostly I just say to people that it's true. People have asked me if I've been written out and I've said yes. That's the only way to handle it. I just feel that, for me, if I was watching this, I wouldn't want to know what was going to happen next. I've never been one of those people who understands the benefits of spoilers and clues. I was such a Lost fan and if anybody even drew breath to tell me what was going to happen, they would get the laser eye stare from me! But I do understand that people are excited and want to know and are taking an interest, which is brilliant. If people ask me, I'd rather lie so they have the full experience of the shock. I think most people are going to get that shock, because most people just get in from work, tune in and see what happens. Hopefully there'll be a lot of people jumping out of their chairs on Friday night."

    Did you worry that the secret might somehow leak out?
    "Well, Bryan assured me that we'd done as much as we could to ensure that nothing leaked. We're all generally very, very good with that - we have to be. With me, I think it's more about protecting the story. We work very hard to create something that's going to surprise people, shock people, upset people, make people laugh, so we don't want to blow it - otherwise what's the point of us doing all that work? I just think that it's protecting the story rather than preventing a leak. I want people to get the full experience of what we've put together, because to be honest with you, the actors in this show are the only people who get the full element of surprise, because everybody else gets magazines or goes online and finds out what's going to happen next week. But as we get a script, we get that full surprise as we turn the page. We're going, 'Ooh, ooh, ooh, I didn't know that!' We're the only people who get that, so I think it's a rare occasion when we get to treat the audience to a real surprise."

    There's been weeks of internet speculation about Denise's fate - is that something you've been aware of?
    "Yeah, I've spoken to the press office and they've been saying how it's all buzzing and all kicking off and stuff like that! I think it's very flattering that people are taking the time to get online and post their opinions. In theatre, you get your feedback straight away, but you don't get your feedback really with TV, and I suppose the future with TV is that the internet's the headquarters of fans. It's very flattering that people are taking the time to have their opinion and share it with each other on Digital Spy. It's brilliant."

    Denise's pink nail varnish became a particular topic of discussion…
    "Yeah, there's been things about jewellery, nail varnish and things like that! I think it's amazing, because like I say with Lost, after a while there's so much speculation that they've speculated beyond the story! I think that a lot of Lost fans came up with better storylines than the producers of Lost! But yeah, apparently that's really important - what nail varnish I had on! I'm lost on that one. I'd worn that nail varnish for months. You get locked in continuity on this show because you film all over the place - this week and next week in the same week, so you have to keep basically the same hair, the same nails. So yeah, I've had that pink for ages and when they were going to put the stuntwoman in the water, then obviously someone said they'd have to put the same nail varnish on her as well. "

    You mentioned that you've still been busy filming over the past few weeks. How was the issue of fans seeing you at the studio addressed?
    "There was one scene that we shot a few weeks ago and I think there were a couple of guys who came to take photographs. Sometimes they do that when we're shooting on location and it doesn't usually matter - it's helpful sometimes, it gets people interested. In this case, it would have just spoiled everything for everyone, so we decided that I should go incognito to this location! So I dressed as this sort of E20 young boy with baggy trousers, sunglasses and a baseball cap and everything. I even affected a Fatboy walk and nobody knew! But since then, we haven't been able to do that and I've been coming in and of course there are people by the gates and so on. What can you do? There's only so much you can do - people obviously come down because they want to find out."

    Where does the story go from here?
    "It'll be fairly explosive next week. There's some explosive stuff. I think there's going to be some real tears and upset. In terms of where it goes from there - it ain't over until the fat lady sings when it comes to Denise! She's taken enough knocks. I don't think she'll be looking for a new man any time soon. I think she's just going to take it easy on the man front. I think what needs to happen with the family is that everybody just needs to find their own way to find their own peace. I think that's the future really for all of them."

    Ahead of tonight's game-changing EastEnders episode going to air, Diane Parish spoke exclusively to Digital Spy about the shock revelation that her character Denise Johnson is still alive.

    If you haven't yet read the main part of the chat, click here to do so.

    Alternatively, read on for more from Diane, including her thoughts on Libby, Chelsea and Don Gilet…

    What have you thought about the storyline as a whole?
    "It's all been a bit of a blur, but I've loved every last second of it. It's been really powerful, and there's some great episodes written by Christopher Reason next week - absolutely spot on. And the red button stuff that we've done is spot on. I remember saying to Bryan when I got the scripts that I was actually a bit petrified. I thought the scripts were really good, they're among the best scripts I've ever been given on the show in four years, if not the best scripts. I said to Bryan, 'I love them - but I really hope I do what you lot have put on the tin!' It's quite an intimidating thing when you get a really, really good strong bit of material to do - you then think, 'Am I going to be able to do it?' So I was really excited to do it and a bit terrified, but it's fun."

    The Lucas story has been quite a slow burn one - what have you made of that?
    "I think the point of that is that we don't know who we live amongst. We don't know who we live next door to. You can go through any situation in life - pass anyone on the street and you don't know, you just do not know what somebody's about and what they're up to. People have been shocked, but we don't know who we live amongst and that was the point of Lucas getting on with life in the Square.

    "It wasn't about a storyline being dragged out or being overly long or anything like that. We wanted to give the sense that this guy got accidentally involved in a terrible crime with Trina, then he felt he was driven and pushed over the edge in desperation and did a terrible thing in murdering Owen. But all the way through that, he didn't walk on to the path of being a serial killer, it was just steps in desperation and being lost. We had to play that in real time."

    Were you surprised when you learned that Libby and Chelsea would believe Denise was a killer?
    "Oh yeah, I definitely was. Not Libby, because she's got some doubts, but with Chelsea. But I think we've got to remember that Chelsea had that bracelet thing nagging away at her for quite a while. But even so, I think, 'Do you not know your mother?!' She's obviously had that bracelet nagging away, and also she so desperately wanted to find her dad. We've got to remember that when Chelsea was in a very bad place, she was dabbling in drugs herself, so she felt she had some sort of connection with her dad and wanted to find him.

    "Having her mum and her dad in the same house together was very important to her. So the idea that she could have possibly been the person to bring horror into her home, I think she would just block that out. Possibly the only thing is that it's easier to believe it was Denise who's done it, because the thought that it's her dad that's done it possibly is just too horrible."

    Were you on set to see Denise's funeral?
    "I wasn't on set when they did the funeral - I was at home in my garden! But it was really weird coming in after they'd all shot it. Everyone was going, 'God, Di, that was so weird, I didn't like it. I didn't like seeing your picture there'. I remember Nina, especially, saying, 'Oh no, I didn't like it'. She was really getting upset. I haven't seen those episodes but by the time you've done this article I will have seen it. I don't know what happens at the funeral, I look forward to it!"

    Would you like to see Denise find some happiness now, or are you keen to keep playing the drama?
    "I've always said that the most interesting characters are the people who go through these tortures and upsets. It's a rollercoaster of fun doing this. I always love doing the light stuff and the comedy, I absolutely adore it - bouncing off some of the actors in there is great. But when you do get stuff like this to get your teeth stuck into, it's brilliant."

    Lucas's storyline is obviously drawing to a close now - will you miss working with Don Gilet?
    "I will really, really, really miss working with him. Don plays a very intense character, and he's a very good actor and very professional, but he knows how to keep it light, put it that way! That is a blessing and a godsend to have when you're doing such challenging and intense work. Don and I have known each other for about ten years, we've worked together a lot, we get each other, and we don't have to work things out before we step on set - we just know.

    "We can go and sit and have a cup of tea or lunch and go through our lines, and toss things into the air and come up with ideas. Neither of us are sensitive about that, and that is rare - it's rare to work with somebody where it's all easy and understood, and where you laugh. I spend all my time laughing with Don. I don't know if people know it, but he's a very funny man. He's crazy too, but really funny and we've both got the same sense of humour. I've just had two and a half years of working with someone who's like a best mate, so it's been brilliant."

    Now that you're back from the dead, can you assure your fans that you'll be sticking with EastEnders for the foreseeable future?
    "I would like to reassure them, but who knows?! I'm really enjoying myself at the minute and EastEnders is definitely keeping it interesting for all of us - it's some of the best work you'll get to do on television, being in this show, because you do get the full gamut of emotions and you get to really challenge yourself at times. I've been very fortunate that I've been trusted with really important issues and stories, and while that's happening, I'm loving it! I love EastEnders. I'm working with some amazing actors - there's some real talent to be proud of. And I'm really proud of our female talent - I think we've got amazingly strong, edgy women in our show. I'm very proud to be part of it."

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  3. #72
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    I dont know why Chelsea and Libby are leaving! There'll only be Denise and Patrick left. Come through all this and then there just gonna leave?!

  4. #73
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    no great loss of characters

  5. #74
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    In the updated episode spoilers for next week it says that Denise was being held captive in the boarded-up house next door. I had only noticed that it was boarded up over the last few weeks. These two houses stand alone at the end of the Square and Frank and Pat had them combined to form the B&B. Patrick and Yolande took over the B&B until they got the shop. I always assumed that Patrick still lived in the combined house. Can anyone remember the house being separated again? They normally only board-up a house when there has been a fire or something.

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  7. #75
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    Did they not separate the houses after Yolande left Patrick and he could no longer afford the big house?

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  9. #76
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    Quote Originally Posted by Perdita View Post
    Did they not separate the houses after Yolande left Patrick and he could no longer afford the big house?
    Yes, they were separated at that time.
    Last edited by parkerman; 24-07-2010 at 14:20.

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  11. #77
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    Quote Originally Posted by JustJodi View Post
    apparently she got a pile of food from HER WAKE ???????????????????????
    I know. How weird is that???!!!

    Great episode last night!

  12. #78
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    Quote Originally Posted by sean slater View Post
    I dont know why Chelsea and Libby are leaving! There'll only be Denise and Patrick left. Come through all this and then there just gonna leave?!
    It does seem strange. I would think they'd want to be with their mum. Unless the bad memories are too much?

  13. #79
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    Yeh and I dont want the family to be split up. I happen to like all the Foxes. It's a shame.

  14. #80
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    I'm glad that Chelsea is leaving (not sure how I feel about Libby leaving), but it's a ridiculous time for them to go, just having got their mother back from the dead. It's another silly aspect to this whole storyline.

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