Denise Fox (also Wicks, Turner and Johnson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Diane Parish.

Firstly, to Kevin in 2007, who dies months later, to Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet) in 2009, with them divorcing two years later after he is imprisoned for murdering their ex-spouses respectively, and then to Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) in 2021.

She also embarks on a loveless engagement to Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), flings with younger men Fatboy (Ricky Norwood), Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami) and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) and a drunken one-night stand with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) which results in a late in life pregnancy and the birth of a son, Raymond Dawkins.

Other storylines involving Denise include surviving a bus crash, losing her job, descending into poverty, igniting a feud with Phil's sister and Jack's ex-partner, Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf), struggling with family issues such as her stepdaughter Amy Mitchell's (Ellie Dadd) self-harming and her stepson Ricky Mitchell (Frankie Day) becoming a father at twelve-years-old, assaulting Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) with a champagne bottle and covering up the murder of Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) during "The Six" storyline, being sectioned after developing psychosis due to Keanu's murder and separating, later divorcing with Jack after discovering his affair with Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).

Denise's ex-spouse Owen Turner (Lee Ross), an vituperative alcoholic, soon turns up and wishes to reunite with their daughter Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu).

Shirley unsuccessfully tries to ruin the wedding and Denise deals with various problems, including Chelsea and Dean's imprisonment for framing Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky), Kevin's attempts to conceal the crime, and a feud with her boss at the post office, Zainab Masood (Nina Wadia).

Denise returns, but is angry to discover her eldest daughter Chelsea (Tiana Benjamin) is using drugs and in contact with her father Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet).

Chelsea, needing a fresh start, moves to Spain with Owen's mother, Liz Turner (Kate Williams) and Libby joins them for a holiday before returning to university.

Denise is heartbroken to see her girls leave but is distracted by her sister, Kim Fox (Tameka Empson), arriving and saying that she has left her boyfriend, Dexter Mulholland (Robbie Gee), and asks to move in with them.

On Christmas Day 2011, Denise opens a present containing a broken toy car and a USB stick with a recording of Phil talking about his part in Kevin's death.

Denise begins to feel part of the family and supports Ian when he intends to testify that he saw Max Branning (Jake Wood) tampering with the brakes of Carl's car.

Fatboy's girlfriend, Poppy Meadow (Rachel Bright), learns of the kiss and posts a letter to Ian, before leaving Walford but Lucy reads it and challenges Denise.

However, Kim's confessions to Shirley, Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace), Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) and Patrick reveal that her husband does exist but she left him when she found out that he was a criminal.

While she is adamant that she will not change her mind after that, she continues to struggle with her decision and angrily tears up a newly arrived letter from Raymond's adoptive parents without reading it.

Denise eventually claims for Universal Credit, but is stunned that she will not receive money for ten weeks as she left her job voluntarily, but is given a referral to a food bank.

In March 2019, Denise and Kim set up a beauty salon, Fox & Hair, funded by Patrick, and they employ Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold) and Mitch Baker (Roger Griffiths).

In September 2020, Denise learns through Callum Highway (Tony Clay) that her son Raymond has been involved in a car accident, which has killed his adoptive parents Jonah and Lydia.

Sam threatens to reveal that Denise knows the truth about Vincent's death if she doesn't return the money Phil provided for the Fox & Hair salon.

In early 2023, Denise faces her stepdaughter Amy Mitchell's (Ellie Dadd) self-harming and her twelve-year-old stepson Ricky (Frankie Day) impregnating Lily Slater (Lillia Turner).

Denise strives to support the children and serves as Jack's voice of reason as the pressures of family life cause him to become increasingly stressed and angry.

Denise reveals the truth to Chelsea and the Panesars, and teams up with Suki to take down Ravi and clear her son Kheerat's (Jaz Deol) name.

Denise, Sharon, Kathy, Stacey, Suki, and Linda decide to frame Keanu for Nish's attack and bury him under the floorboards of the Bridge Street Café.

Convinced that Linda's son Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff), who knows about Keanu's murder, is plotting to frame her, Denise decides to leave Walford.

During Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) and George Knight (Colin Salmon)'s wedding day, Denise begins getting closer to Ravi, much to Jack's annoyance.

On 7 November 2005, the BBC announced that Diane Parish had been cast in EastEnders as a "sassy, strong" character with links to the established Wicks family, who would be "a force to be reckoned with.

[10] Lara Gould of the Sunday Mirror described the new characters as the "feisty Fox family", revealing that Denise would have a second, younger daughter, Elizabeth ["Libby"], played by Belinda Owusu.

Gould reported that the family would "arrive in Albert Square with a bang and [...] cause friction from the off", expanding: "The Fox girls don't take any nonsense – they'll be a force to be reckoned with.

Kris Green of media and entertainment website Digital Spy described Owen as having had "a disappointing life", revealing that Denise had separated from him as a result of his heavy drinking.

Norwood told Inside Soap, "I don't think Fatboy is looking for love—but he's happy to be swept off his feet by Denise, who's this hot older woman he never imagined he could be with.

"[38] Nathan Bevan of the Wales on Sunday also deemed the storyline far-fetched, commenting: "she'd been kept prisoner in the basement of the abandoned house next door [...] and no one heard her screaming for help through the walls?