‘Stop this madness!’ rage EastEnders fans as they beg soap bosses to axe grisly teen steroids storyline
EASTENDERS fans were left fuming over Denzel’s latest actions with steroids.
Denzel Danes (played by Jaden Ladega) has been struggling with his body image in recent weeks, and resorted to taking anabolic steroids in a bid to boost his confidence.
The decision has had adverse effects with his general health and familial relationships both deteriorating as he attempted to keep his addiction a secret.
He will continue to suffer further when he implements greater diet and exercise restrictions upon himself.
However the storyline has left fans raging after Denzel yelled at his aunty Yolande (Angela Wynter) in Wednesday’s episode.
He called her a b**** after she expressed her concerns over his secretive behaviour.
With the steroids clearly affecting him, will Denzel continue to take them and take it out on his family and friends?
Taking to social media, one viewer said: “#eastenders why are you making the 15 year old take steroids stop this madness.”
Another wrote: “His Denzel storyline is ridiculous…”
A third penned: “Who does Denzel think he is??? speaking to Yolande like that.”
EastEnders executive producer Chris Clenshaw said: “It was imperative for us to work alongside WithYou and individuals with lived experiences of steroid usage to accurately present and portray Denzel’s storyline.
We explore how social media has an impact on his perception of body image and the affects that anabolic steroid misuse are having on the youth of today.”
Chris Clenshaw
“Jaden’s [Ladega, who plays Denzel] performance has thoughtfully portrayed the isolating realities of a steroid dependency as we explore how social media has an impact on his perception of body image and the affects that anabolic steroid misuse are having on the youth of today.”
Lead clinical pharmacist at WithYou, Abigail Wilson, said: “It is really important that this type of storyline highlights the character’s journey and the risks they may face in a realistic way.”
She continued: “It has been amazing to work alongside the EastEnders team, and I really hope that this storyline will help and encourage people affected by similar challenges to access support, from WithYou or another substance misuse support service.”
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and iPlayer.