What happened between Zoe and Dirty Den? Murder and cover-up explained
A period Zoe would rather forget
Vicki Fowler comes face-to-face with Zoe Slater in EastEnders tonight (Monday, September 15), as she demands answers over the death of ‘Dirty’ Den Watts. Zoe, one will remember, was directly involved in Den’s death during a fatal run-in between himself, Zoe, Sam Mitchell and Chrissie Watts.
If Zoe’s explosive reaction to seeing Zoe is anything to go by, Vicki’s never quite gotten over her father’s death.
But how and why exactly did Den die? And what did Zoe have to do with it?
What happened between Zoe and Dirty Den on EastEnders?
Den Watts returned to Walford in 2003, after initially faking his own death in 1990. After being tracked down by daughter Vicki, Den was reunited with adoptive daughter Sharon and met his illegitimate son, Dennis Rickman, for the first time.
During his life away from Walford, he had also met and married Chrissie Watts, who arrived in Walford in 2004. While the pair resumed their marriage upon her arrival, the happy family act didn’t last long, and Den soon resumed his philandering ways. Well, they don’t call him ‘dirty’ Den for nothing.
This included his affair with his son’s girlfriend, Zoe Slater. Desperate to keep Dennis – who she knew had eyes for another – Zoe lied, and told him that she was pregnant. This lie, which was partly Den’s idea, led to them sleeping together in order to make her fantasy a reality.
Full of regret, Zoe attempted to come clean to Dennis, but was blackmailed by Den into continuing the lie… and the sex. The truth ultimately came out when Dennis caught them in bed together. Understandably disgusted, Dennis disowned both Den and Zoe, and set off in search of Sharon.
By this point, however, Zoe had fallen pregnant for real… with Den’s baby.
Who killed Dirty Den?
After learning of Zoe’s pregnancy, Chrissie convinced Zoe to have an abortion. Together with Sam Mitchell (who Den had also wronged), the three women confronted Den in The Vic. As Chrissie enacted her plan to take ownership of the pub from her ex-husband, a vicious confrontation took place.
Unbeknownst to Den, Sharon was also present and listening in as he smugly bragged about all of his crimes and manipulations – and disowned him then and there.
Following Sharon’s departure, Den exploded, and attacked Chrissie. In an attempt to save her, Zoe swung an iron doorstep at Den’s head, knocking him unconscious.
While Zoe believed that she had killed Den, Chrissie had actually delivered the final blow – striking him for a second time after he regained consciousness. Zoe, Sam and Chrissie then buried Den in The Queen Vic cellar, where he remained until Sam and Chrissie’s subsequent feud boiled over.
While Zoe left Walford in the wake of the crime, Chrissie and Sam remained. This allowed Chrissie to frame Sam for the murder, leading to her imprisonment in 2005. Sam’s name was finally cleared when a CCTV confession emerged from Chrissie, exonerating her from the crime.
Chrissie served her time for Den’s murder, and was released on parole last year.
