Is Denise DONE FOR?

Eastenders actress Zaraah Abrahams on whether her character’s desperate scheming has cost her mother her life

Chelsea fears that her deranged dad has murdered her mum in Eastenders this week in revenge for the bungled drugs scam. Missing Denise was seen being held hostage and Lucas is secretly furious with his daughter because he knows she’s planning to use him as a drugs mule. But has he really turned killer again?

‘Chelsea blames herself and feels terrible,’ says actress Zaraah Abrahams, who plays her. ‘Her greatest fear is that her dad has killed her mum and, as Chelsea brought him back into their lives, it’s all her fault.’

After Chelsea’s ex, Caleb, threatened to hurt her family unless she takes drugs to Ibiza, she’s asked Lucas to go on ‘holiday’ with her, but he becomes suspicious of her motives and refuses to go on the trip. ‘Chelsea hasn’t done any of this because she wanted to smuggle drugs,’ says Zaraah. ‘She’s done it because her ex-boyfriend has been threatening her, and she has to do what it takes to stop that.

‘She decided to use Lucas because she wasn’t willing to take the risk herself – she wanted to get away from the life she was living and doesn’t want to end up with Caleb, or in prison.

‘Using Lucas would have killed two birds with one stone because the family don’t necessarily want him around, and she doesn’t really care what happens to him. So it seemed the perfect set-up...’

But now Chelsea knows that she’s in deep trouble. ‘Chelsea didn’t want Denise to find out, but if Denise is alive, Chelsea will have to explain why she’s been put in this position,’ says Zaraah, whose role was previously played by actress Tiana Benjamin. ‘She’s terrified that Caleb will turn on her whole

family. If Lucas confronts Caleb, it could go terribly. Caleb could make all of their lives hell.’

Zaraah, who arrived in Albert Square on Christmas Day to take over the role, isn’t new to the world of soaps. She played Joanne Jackson in Coronation Street for two years from 2005.

‘Corrie prepared me well for Eastenders,’ she says. ‘The pace of it, the way you have to adapt to different directors, crew and actors; switching storylines and scripts.

When you go on set as part of such a big team, you have to be on it.’

Zaraah, who’s 34 and from south London, adds, ‘I feel incredibly lucky to have got this job during the pandemic because it’s such an uncertain time. It’s another big stamp on my career and I’m lucky to have good scenes with such amazing actors. The storyline has just been unfolding and unfolding, so everything I do has a real purpose, which is great.’ ■