EastEnders fans were floored as villain Lucas Johnson made an unexpected return – but they know why he’s back.
The murderer, played by Don Gilet, is the ex-husband of Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and the father of Chelsea Fox (now played by Zaraah Abrahams). Lucas’ first appearance in Walford came in 2008.
Despite originally being a dedicated preacher, Lucas turned into a killer after causing the death of his first wife Trina (Sharon Duncan Brewster). He went on to murder Denise’s ex-husband Owen Turner (Lee Ross) and framed her for the two murders.
He returned during the latest instalment of the BBC soap, which saw Denise head to prison to visit the killer. At the beginning of Wednesday’s episode (January 31), Denise was haunted by nightmares of burying Keanu Taylor’s (Danny Walters) body following his murder on Christmas Day.
She was greeted by Keanu’s face in her night terrors as he buried her alive underneath the café floor. Denise has been unable to confide in husband Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), who has since turned to Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) for comfort.
With seemingly nowhere else to turn, Denise ended up coming face to face with her serial killer ex. Lucas laid eyes on a dishevelled looking Denise as he simply asked: “What you doing here?”
Fans raced to social media to share their shock at the twist, while others speculated Denise must be there to confess or seek advice. One wrote: “WHHHHAATTTT !!!! Nahh Lucas ! Of all the people I did not expect to see back on my screen !! Denise is going to tell him isn’t she.”
A second added: “Lucas Johnson returns after nearly 3 years away. Denise is obviously turning to him as a way of seeking forgiveness for his actions. … But could Lucas be an unexpected stumbling block for #TheSix.”
Another joked: “I don’t blame Denise Lucas is the best person to seek advice.” A fourth declared: “Oh course, you’re having mental break so go see Lucas.”
