We’ll have to decide whether we are Team Jack or Team Ravi…
Actress Diane Parish has lifted the lid on her character Denise Fox’s passionate new storyline in EastEnders.
The character has not had the easiest of rides with romance, having previously been married to a domestic abuser in Owen Turner, a serial killer in Lucas Johnson, and lost her beloved Kevin Wicks in a car accident.
Now, Denise is supposedly settled down with police detective Jack Branning (Scott Maslen).
However, in the BBC One soap this week, Denise has found her desires tested as she erupts into a passion with bad boy Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara).
However, the next week sees Denise propositions Ravi herself while drunk before he knocks her back.
Of course, this is not the end of the flirtation as Ravi soon invites her to join him at a hotel. Does this mean that Denise is conducting a full-blown affair while married to Jack?
Parish teases that Denise’s plan to join Ravi at the hotel does not go to plan, adding: “But the one thing I will say, and I hope this comes across in the whole story is that Denise doesn’t want to go. Really, she wants Jack to save her from all of this and what she thinks she wants. Denise would give anything for Jack to turn around and say all of the things that Ravi has said and give her all of the excitement and validation that Ravi has given her. She would give anything for that to come from Jack, she doesn’t want to go and she would give anything not to go.”
The question remains whether Denise will be able to go through the ultimate betrayal of continuing her passion with Ravi.
“When you play these parts in this show no one can ever say ‘I wouldn’t do that’ or ‘she wouldn’t be here’ because the nature of the beast is that anything can happen,” notes Parish. “Anything can happen, and it forces stories to spin out which effect different characters. It’s all about drama and excitement, and characters being put in very uncomfortable situations.”
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When faced with the question of who Denise truly loves, however, only one man comes out on top.
“100% it’s Jack,” confirms Parish. “That’s not what the Ravi thing is about. The Ravi thing is about igniting sexual desires, tension, validation, and Denise not wanting to be middle-aged and forgotten and invisible. She wants to get old with her husband but she still wants to be seen.
“I think that’s true for a lot of women – when you’re in a relationship at this age you want to be seen, you’re not dead! [Laughs] It’s a bit of a crisis point for her.”
However, the reactions to Denise’s affair story with Ravi have provoked a more divided reaction, according to the actress who plays her.
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Diane Parish revealed: “I’ve had a mixture of people who have said ‘I hope you’re not going to go off with that bloke’ but on the flip side, people have also said ‘Oo what’s going on with you and Ravi?’ I suppose it will be split down the middle with the fans.
“Also, at the minute Jack isn’t being nice so a lot of the fans are thinking he’s being horrible, but when they see what Scott Maslen brings to the table they may not be feeling sorry for me! Scott is incredible, he’s a fantastic, emotional, vulnerable player and he’s a fierce and loyal partner. He’s got very strong ethics and opinions and he’s informed Jack with a lot of that integrity and humanity.”
Read more:
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