EastEnders reveals Darnell's family secret in early iPlayer release

In an early BBC iPlayer release of EastEnders, the show reveals a tragic backstory for Darnell Larson Jr. Darnell, who recently joined the series as Denise Fox’s long-lost half-brother, has been hesitant to undergo testing to see if he is a stem cell match for Denise, who is battling acute myeloid leukaemia.

Darnell explains that his reluctance stems from the trauma of losing his late wife, who was a victim of a contaminated blood scandal. While Jack Branning initially confronts Darnell in frustration over the lack of a donor, Darnell eventually agrees to undergo testing following encouragement from his daughter, Grace.