Denise Fox's (Diane Parish) blood cancer storyline takes a horrifying turn in EastEnders next week.

It's a race against time as her family scramble to find a stem cell match when she's placed into an induced coma. Could a recently discovered half-brother be the help she so desperately needs?

Elsewhere, there's fresh drama for Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy), pregnancy woes for Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) and Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) confides in DC Craig Ingram (Matthew James-Bailey) again.

Plus, after watching some upsetting footage from their twins Bert and Ernie's (Elliot and Cody Briffett) school project, Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) attempts to lift wife Kat’s (Jessie Wallace) spirits by decking out The Queen Vic in whatever Benidorm-themed paraphernalia he can lay his hands on.

The plan works, Kat is distracted by another heart-warming surprise, and the party spills out into Albert Square. With this being EastEnders, chaos ensues – and the Panesar-Unwins’ (Balvinder Sopal and Heather Peace) foster daughter Ria Virdi (Aaria Sharma) is injured, with Suki threatening legal action against Kat.

Here's everything happening in the episodes of EastEnders airing between Monday 24 and Thursday 27 August.

7 EastEnders spoilers for next week

1. Denise Fox's half-brother Darnell Larson Jr arrives as she takes a turn for the worst

With the donor drive at the community centre fast approaching, the Fox-Trueman family remain determined to find a stem cell match for Denise. But when her health declines further, she is placed into a medically induced coma.

Hope arrives from an unexpected source when Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) discovers a missed lead on an ancestry website, which suggests that Denise has a half-brother. The family begin desperately searching for Darnell (Christopher Colquhoun), but with Denise’s condition deteriorating, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) decides he can’t afford to sit back and wait.

Unbeknownst to him, Kim has already tracked Darnell down and manages to make contact. He agrees to meet them, only to be completely blindsided by the reason they have sought him out.

After learning about Denise’s illness, the newcomer is understandably shaken. Although reluctant, he agrees to visit his sister in hospital, but the encounter proves too much for him and he soon makes a hurried departure.

There is some relief when Denise begins to show signs of improvement and is eventually brought out of her coma. However, the family’s optimism is short-lived when doctors reveal that her treatment is not producing the results they had hoped for.

With the need for a suitable stem cell donor now more pressing than ever, Jack becomes increasingly focused on finding Darnell. Denise is hopeful after hearing the news that she has a half-brother, with Jack’s determination ultimately leading him to Darnell and his daughter Grace (Krysstina Frempong).

The emotional meeting leaves the family fearing that their best opportunity to save Denise could be slipping away. When Jack returns to the hospital and delivers some devastating news, Kim is left furious.

Will Darnell or Grace be a match?

2. Penny Branning struggles with her pregnancy secret

Penny is determined to face her pregnancy challenges without relying on anyone else, but as she prepares for the arrival of her baby, she reluctantly allows Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota) to lend a hand.

Her guilt only grows when Vinny turns to Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) for assistance, leaving Penny to wrestle with her guilt, knowing that it's likely that the latter is the father.

Meanwhile, Eve and Suki are left devastated after discovering that their foster daughter Ria’s mother may be considering seeking custody. The revelation puts even more strain on an already difficult situation and sparks tensions between Suki and Vinny over Penny and her unborn child.

3. Pregnant Priya Nandra-Hart pursues a paternity test

Priya has discovered she's pregnant - and has no idea who the father is! At the community centre’s donor drive, she and Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) seize the opportunity to secretly obtain DNA samples from both Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) and Max Branning (Jake Wood).

The pair are hopeful that the samples will finally give Priya the lead she needs to quietly pursue a paternity test.

Later in the week, Priya and Ravi reaffirm their feelings for one another, insisting that a future together remains what they both want.

Is Priya confident that Ravi is the father?

4. Amy Mitchell is rejected - and turns to Craig Ingram

Amy finds herself drawn back into the latest developments surrounding the investigation into Joel Marshall's (Max Murray) attack when she overhears a new piece of information.

Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega) considers asking her out, but dad Howie’s (Delroy Atkinson) warning makes him think twice and he ultimately decides against it. When Amy takes matters into her own hands and makes a move, she is left crushed when he rejects her.

Later, she crosses paths with Craig in the park. As their conversation develops, she agrees to the idea of meeting up with him.

5. Suki and Eve Panesar-Unwin worry for Ria's future

Eve and Suki are left reeling after discovering that Ria’s mother could be preparing to seek custody.

Their fears increase when Ria is injured during an event hosted by Alfie, leaving Suki worried about the potential consequences for the custody battle.

Determined to protect Ria, she threatens legal action. However, her confrontation soon proves too much for Kat, who storms away from the situation.

6. Alfie Moon prepares a surprise for wife Kat

Alfie becomes concerned after watching footage from Bert and Ernie’s school project, and he notices that Kat is visibly upset.

Desperate to cheer her up, he secretly comes up with an elaborate plan inspired by a happy holiday memory and decides to bring a taste of Benidorm to the Square.

The family question why Alfie hasn’t simply spoken to Kat about what he saw in the footage, but their concerns are quickly forgotten when they discover his surprise waiting outside.

Kat is visibly moved by Alfie’s gesture, and before long the Square is swept up in the celebrations.

However, the party soon spirals into chaos when a community officer intervenes and orders everyone to shut things down. The Moons are also threatened with a fine.

As Alfie attempts to calm Kat, their conversation is suddenly interrupted by shocking news when Ria is injured.

7. Cindy Beale makes plans for Max Branning's stag-do

With Jack distracted by everything happening with Denise, Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) sees an opportunity to keep Max’s stag do on track and asks Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) to take charge of the arrangements.

But while preparations get underway, Max is left feeling increasingly uneasy about what the celebration might have in store...

This is Oscar after all!

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