Kirkwood: We want to deliver shocks to Enders audience

When a body resembling Walford’s Denise Johnson was recovered from an East End canal a few weeks ago, viewers were left wondering whether her serial killer husband Lucas had claimed her as his third victim.

But in a shock twist at the end of last Friday’s episode, it was revealed that captive Denise was actually alive, and speaking to Inside Soap magazine, EastEnders executive producer Bryan Kirkwood said the dramatic cliffhanger was ’one the most deserving "doof doofs" I’ve ever seen’.

’It was satisfying to tell a story where the audience didn’t actualy know the definite ending for once,’ he told the magazine. ’Stacey being revealed as Archie’s killer, and now Denise’s fate, show us that we should allow the audience to be surprised more!’

Kirkwood added: ’We want to be able to deliver genuine shocks and cliffhangers that people don’t see coming every now and then’.

The statements echo those of John Yorke, who back in May told the Radio Times that EastEnders bosses probably reveal too many spoilers for viewers. ‘Keeping secret the identity of Archie’s killer until the live episode showed how potent a surprise can be,’ he said. ’Since then, we’ve been looking at other ways to do it.’