Diane Parish Gives Heartfelt Behind-the-Scenes Glimpse of Denise's Cancer Hair Loss Preparation in EastEnders

EASTENDERS’ Diane Parish has shared an emotional behind-the-scenes look as she prepared for Denise’s blood cancer storyline and the hair loss experienced from treatment.

In the soap, Denise has lost all of her hair after being (AML), an aggressive form of blood cancer, and undergoing a .

EastEnders’ Diane Parish has shared an emotional behind-the-scenes look as she prepared for the blood cancer storyline Credit: Instagram After a month of intense treatment, Diane’s character Denise Fox lost most of her hair in the heartbreaking storyline Credit: Instagram

This week in the soap, Denise went home after undergoing the chemo, and while she getting ready in her bedroom, her partner Jack Branning walked in and saw her with no headscarf on.

The emotional scenes saw Jack looking taken aback as Denise desperately tried to cover her head, which had sparse strands of hair and bald patches, as a result of the treatment.

And now Diane has given fans a glimpse at the long process of getting into character for the emotional scenes.

Sharing a lengthy caption with a behind-the-scenes time lapse video, Diane penned: “Denise Fox losing her was a painstaking, lengthy and highly technical process.

“Not just a case of ‘putting a cap on your head’.

“Thankfully nowadays you don’t sit with just a straw to breathe through while the prosthetic skull cap cast is built around your head (I’m super claustrophobic) now 3D scanner is used so you go away while that is done over a number of weeks in your absence, on a super realistic bust of your head then begins the process in the chair on the day of shooting.”

She went on to explain: “We had two days to film two scenes, one each day, at different stages of hair loss and each day, there was 4-5 HOURS in the make up chair.

“I’m like a ferret in the chair so I really had to tap into my zen to sit still!

Diane documented getting fitted with two bald caps to create the look Credit: Instagram She also showed off how they moulded her face Credit: Instagram Denise is battling blood cancer in the soap Credit: BBC Diane’s character was told this week that her chemo hadn’t worked as well as they had hoped Credit: Instagram

“We had an incredible team led by the winning Mark Coulier, creative director of makeup effects company Coulier Creatures FX (whose work includes and to name but a few) and the wonderful @chloemp_mua who expertly fitted my cap and listened to me babble on for hours. The patience of a saint!”

Diane then explained how each day in the chair went.

She said she began with her own hair getting washed, dried and flat ironed before her hair was “glued” flat to her head.

The first cap then went on and was blended, before a bald prosthetic cap with “intricately inserted hair strands” was applied.

In the time lapse video she shared alongside the lengthy caption, the entire process was caught on camera.

Diane was seen sitting in the chair as hair and makeup artists worked on applying the bald caps and inserting single strands of hair to create the look needed for Denise’s cancer battle storyline.

Diane then concluded the post by writing: “It was massively important to @bbceastenders and myself to do this justice and be as realistic and accurate as possible to honour and respect the seriousness of the cancer journey.

“I am forever grateful to Caroline and Renee and Ben Wadey for seeing me through this sometimes quite harsh and emotional process with sensitivity and care. Top of their game pros.“

Fans rushed to the comment section, with one person writing: “Don’t make me cry again. Incredible work, honestly.”

And another adding: “Heartbreaking scenes but incredible work.”