EastEnders viewers have expressed their fury after Chelsea Fox's highly anticipated return to Albert Square took a controversial turn during Monday night's episode, with fans accusing writers of a major character 'retcon'.
Fan Backlash Over Character Consistency
While audiences were initially delighted to see Chelsea Fox back on their screens after her limited appearances throughout 2024, their enthusiasm quickly turned to disappointment as the storyline unfolded. The character, now portrayed by Zaraah Abrahams who took over the role in 2020 after a decade-long absence, found herself at the centre of a dating controversy that left long-term fans questioning the show's writing decisions.
In the dramatic November 17th episode, Chelsea was seen preparing for her third date with a man named Damon, arranging to meet him at the Queen Vic pub for quiz night. The situation quickly escalated when Vicki Fowler noticed Damon attempting to order a stronger drink for Chelsea than she had requested, then overheard him speaking brazenly on the phone to his wife.
Explosive Confrontation and Dramatic Cliffhanger
Vicki confronted Damon at the bar, exposing his marital status to Chelsea in a public showdown. "Why did I expect anything else? Chelsea? Do you know this guy is married? I've just heard him, brazen as anything, on the phone to his Mrs," Vicki declared, directly challenging Damon about his wedding ring removal.
In a surprising twist that triggered much of the fan criticism, Chelsea revealed she already knew about Damon's marriage, dismissing it as "not a big deal" since they were merely "having a few drinks". This response sparked Vicki's furious retort about women enabling such behaviour, leading to Damon's departure from the pub and Chelsea's annoyance at the interference.
The drama intensified later when Vicki encountered Damon at a local kebab shop, where he made disturbing comments about her not being "worth a spiking" before following her to the launderette. There, he launched into a misogynistic rant about feminism before Vicki pushed him against a washing machine, resulting in him hitting his head and falling unconscious in a dramatic cliffhanger.
Social Media Erupts Over Character Development
Fans immediately took to social media platform X to voice their concerns about Chelsea's character direction. Many questioned why, after her traumatic experience with serial killer husband Gray Atkins who was jailed for murder in 2021, she would willingly engage with another toxic man.
One viewer wrote: "Yeah I can't believe they've retconned Chelsea's character like this - after everything that happened with Gray - Chelsea should be turned off those 'Married men in suits' kind of guys."
Another critic argued: "making chelsea knowingly see a married man takes away from the message of misogyny from today's episode because women like her enable men like him to think that is ok. this just wasn't needed. bad writing."
However, some viewers defended the character's screen time, with one commenting: "Not to be rude but can yous shurrup! I'm seeing people complaining about when Chelsea gets nothing to do and then now when she has something to do yas still all complaining!!"
Chelsea Fox first appeared on EastEnders in 2006, originally played by Tiana Benjamin alongside her mother Denise Fox. During her initial four-year stint, she was involved in multiple love triangles and discovered her father was a serial killer before departing for Spain.
Since Zaraah Abrahams took over the role in 2020, Chelsea has experienced significant storylines including her marriage to abusive Gray Atkins, the birth of their son Jordan, and a fractured relationship with her mother Denise after her affair with Ravi Gulati. More recently, in summer 2024, Chelsea was wrongly implicated in a ticket overselling scandal at Peggy's nightclub that caused a dangerous stampede during Notting Hill Carnival celebrations.
Despite these prominent plots, Chelsea's appearances have been sparse throughout 2024, with her last episode prior to this November comeback airing in early September.
EastEnders continues to air Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
