Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) comes to Denise Fox’s (Diane Parish) rescue after Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) lets her down in EastEnders next week.
Denise has secretly entered into a full-blown relationship with Ravi in recent weeks but is still battling feelings for her ex-husband Jack, who has no idea about the identity of her mystery man.
However, Denise has had doubts about Ravi and some of his shady business deals – something that is only further exacerbated next week when she walks in on him on the phone discussing a deal.
With tensions mounting, things are made worse when Ravi rebuffs Denise when she asks him to help with a fuse box at the salon.
Fortunately, Jack later arrives to save the day, giving Denise food for thought.
Actress Diane Parish, who plays Denise, explains: ‘Denise feels like an idiot as she looks at this guy who wants to take care of her and who is always there for her, no matter what and how much they fall out. I mean, look at what Jack did for Denise with Keanu, helping raise Raymond, and everything else they’ve shared.
‘She wonders what she’s doing and why she’s still being drawn back to Ravi. At that moment, she looks at Jack and thinks, “This is what I want.”’
Denise and Ravi kiss and make up after he makes a grand gesture, with things soon turning passionate between them at No. 20.
But when Bernie Taylor (Clair Norris) mistakenly believes a burglar has broken into No.20, a bombshell erupts as their secret affair is exposed to everyone.
Jack and Denise’s daughter Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) – who previously dated Ravi – are reeling as they take in the news, as Denise admits to Kim and Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) that her heart is torn between Ravi and Jack.
Things then get ugly when the two men face off at The Vic…
Revealing how Jack is feeling, Diane says: ‘Denise told Jack she was seeing someone else, but for him to find out it’s Ravi at this moment, just when Jack was feeling optimistic about them, is horrible.’
All is not lost, however, as fans will get to decide who Denise should ultimately be with as part of the soap’s 40th anniversary next month.
They will get to vote on whether she chooses Jack or Ravi with the result played out during a special live episode during the week of celebrations.
