The pivotal moment serves as the culmination of months of storytelling, which have seen Denise and Jack share romantic moments on several occasions, while she and former flame Ravi rekindled their spark on Christmas Day.
In a trailer released last night, the BBC teased what’s to come, with viewers having the casting vote on which man Denise sticks with – and the results being revealed in a live episode during EastEnders’ anniversary week.
EastEnders Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw said: “We’re all so excited to give our audience their first ever chance to decide how one of our big storylines plays out.
“Their votes will determine whether Denise picks Jack or Ravi, with the outcome being revealed as part of our live episode. There is a lot to come over the next few weeks for all three involved, so it’ll be extremely exciting to see which way the audience choose to take the story!”
Fans should know that, in order to access the vote, they must be registered for a BBC Account on or before Wednesday 19th February 2025.
The vote will officially open at 8:30pm that night via BBC.co.uk/EastEnders, and will close at 7:10pm on the following evening, Thursday 20th February, when the result will be incorporated into a live episode premiering just 20 minutes later.
Check out the trailer for EastEnders 40 event Denise Decides, You Choose:
On being central to the shocking event, Denise actor Parish said: “It’s a blessing. I’ve been blessed throughout my time in EastEnders, particularly in the last few years.
“I think Chris Clenshaw understands Denise better than anybody, and he’s gifted me with the most exciting two years of my time on the show to date. I’m really grateful to the story team who created these ideas for Denise.”
She added: “These stories mean I get to show what I can do, and whatever they throw at me, I’m going to do my best with it!”
On his character’s feelings, Thiara commented: “Ravi has really fallen in love with Denise. On the run-up to anniversary week, we see Ravi wearing his heart on his sleeve more, and he’s been expressing how he feels to Denise.
“There’s a vulnerability there because he doesn’t want to be second best, or dismissed, or pushed to the side. It’s taken a lot for Denise and Ravi to admit they have these feelings for each other.”
Meanwhile, Maslen countered: “Jack is gutted about Denise and Ravi, but he’s still holding on to hope. He can see there is still something there between him and Denise, and there are some mixed signals.
“Sometimes, when Jack and Denise are together and they are not thinking, there’s this natural warmth between them, even though they’re not together right now. They’ve got a lot of problems, which is why they split up, but I don’t think Jack believes this relationship is past the point of no return – yet!”
