{"id":44840,"date":"2024-01-31T07:30:26","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T06:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1983143"},"modified":"2024-01-31T07:39:50","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T06:39:50","slug":"eastenders-airs-unannounced-return-for-iconic-character-in-early-bbc-iplayer-release","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/eastenders-airs-unannounced-return-for-iconic-character-in-early-bbc-iplayer-release\/","title":{"rendered":"EastEnders airs unannounced return for iconic character in early BBC iPlayer release"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spoiler warning for Wednesday 31st January 2024. <\/p>

By Lewis Knight\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 31 January 2024 at 06:30 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Spoiler warning for the Wednesday 31st January 2024 episode of EastEnders, released at 6am on BBC iPlayer and airing at 7:30pm on BBC One.<\/strong><\/p>\n

EastEnders<\/a> has aired the unannounced surprise return of serial killer Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet) in a shock cliffhanger.<\/p>\n

The BBC One soap has shown Denise Fox (Diane Parish) to be the member of The Six struggling the most following<\/a> their coverup of the murder of Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) at Christmas.<\/p>\n

Denise has spiralled mostly since the group buried Keanu\u2019s body beneath concrete under the Bridge Street Cafe and she realised she had lost her signature \u2018D\u2019 necklace to the foundations of the cafe<\/a> but found no sympathy or help from her comrades in trying to retrieve it.<\/p>\n

As Denise\u2019s mental health has deteriorated, her husband Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) has pulled away from her and is now engaging in an ongoing illicit affair with Denise\u2019s fellow Six member, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), with whom he shares a grandchild.<\/p>\n

In Wednesday\u2019s episode, Denise experienced a horrifying nightmare<\/a> of herself lying beneath the floor of the Bridge Street Cafe she looked up at the hole in the floor and saw a ghoulish Keanu standing over her before his arms seized her from below.<\/p>\n

\"Diane\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Diane Parish as a tired Denise Fox in the Branning kitchen talking to Scott Maslen as Jack Branning in EastEnders.<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC\/Jack Barnes\/Kieron McCarron<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Denise woke up panicked but Jack remained absent as he returned home from a night of passion with Stacey.<\/p>\n

The next morning, Jack made an excuse of working late on a major local disappearance \u2013 prompting Denise to steal his phone to try and find out if this concerned Keanu.<\/p>\n

Confiding in Stacey later, Denise reveals her fears \u2013 not knowing Stacey feared her affair being exposed with Jack if Denise saw the aubergine emoji Stacey had earlier sent to Jack.<\/p>\n

At the salon, a distressed Denise was encouraged by her daughter Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) to visit a doctor and Denise said she would.<\/p>\n

Denise was more troubled when Jack\u2019s eldest daughter Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) showed up to book a hair appointment and rang Jack about a loan \u2013 prompting his phone to ring and Denise\u2019s theft to be exposed.<\/p>\n

\"Don\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet) was last seen in EastEnders in 2021.<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Jack arrived after being warned by Stacey and then Denise exposed Jack\u2019s previous infidelity to Penny to explain her paranoia. Penny left disgusted and Jack turned on Denise, blaming her for pulling away and causing issues for his children.<\/p>\n

At the community centre, Denise was comforted by Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) before having a conversation with Pastor Clayton (Howard Saddler) who encouraged her to find a confidante who had experienced whatever it was that she was going through.<\/p>\n

Later, Denise watched from afar where she was due to meet Chelsea before departing and standing her daughter up.<\/p>\n

Then, at the conclusion of the episode, Denise was shown sitting in the visitors\u2019 room of a prison when her ex-husband and Cheslea\u2019s father Lucas Johnson emerged and asked why she had come to see him.<\/p>\n

Will Denise confess the Six\u2019s crimes to Lucas?<\/p>\n

What happened to Lucas Johnson in EastEnders?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Lucas Johnson was the third husband of Denise Fox<\/strong> and her first love.<\/p>\n

The father of Denise\u2019s eldest child Chelsea, Lucas was known for a life of criminality and being unreliable, bringing about the end of his relationship with Denise who moved on and raised Chelsea away from him.<\/p>\n

The pair were reunited years later in 2008 when Chelsea tracked down her father and found he was now a priest and a reformed character, now a single father to his son Jordan.<\/p>\n

Despite initially resisting her feelings, Denise and Lucas soon pursued a fresh romantic relationship but this was troubled by the arrival of his estranged wife and Jordan\u2019s mother, Trina Johnson (Sharon Duncan-Brewster).<\/p>\n

While agreeing to divorce Lucas, Trina tried to be part of Jordan\u2019s life and get between him and Denise, prompting an argument in the allotments and Trina accidentally falling onto a rake which fatally pierced her neck and Lucas willfully left her to die.<\/p>\n