BBC/Composite: EastEnders Insider Share By Joel Harley Sep 15 2025 By Joel Harley Sep 15 2025 What happened between Zoe and Dirty Den? Murder and cover-up explained A period Zoe would rather forget Classic EastEnders Zoe Slater Share By Joel Harley Sep 15 2025 By Joel Harley Sep 15 2025 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? Den manipulated Zoe to get at his son, Dennis (Credit: BBC/YouTube) 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. Article continues below Read all the latest spoilers 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. Dennis caught Zoe in bed with his dad (Credit: BBC/YouTube) 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. The three wronged women turned on Den (Credit: BBC/YouTube) 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. Den died for a second time in 2005 (Credit: BBC/YouTube) 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. Who was Dirty Den on EastEnders? An EastEnders icon explained The name 'Dirty' Den Watts is as synonymous with EastEnders as Phil and Grant Mitchell, Frank Butcher or Ian Beale. First appearing on the soap when it debuted in 1985, Den would be remembered as one of the soap's most memorable villains - making history all over again when he returned from beyond the grave in 2003. Here's a brief history of the one and only Den Watts. Who was Dirty Den? First appearing on the soap when it debuted in 1985, Den was the original landlord of The Queen Vic, and husband to the just-as-iconic Angie. As of the soap's beginning, Den and Angie had been Walford residents since the 1970s, together with their adopted daughter Sharon. The press soon coined the nickname 'Dirty' Den due to the character's constant philandering - specifically his affair with sixteen-year-old Michelle Fowler, who birthed his illegitimate daughter, Vicki. Making Christmas history Den and Angie made soap history with one of the soap's biggest Christmas stories of all time - in which he served her divorce papers on Christmas Day, watched by a record-breaking audience of 30 million viewers. Learning that Den had planned to leave her, Angie lied about contracting a terminal disease, telling Den that she only had six months left to live. After discovering the truth, Den enacted his revenge on Christmas 1986, serving her divorce papers and ordering her out of The Vic. Death and resurrection By 1990, Den had become involved in a criminal gang known as 'The Firm.' After getting on the wrong side of The Firm, Den planned to flee Walford, although he was caught before he could leave and shot dead. However, Den had survived this encounter and, after faking his own death, fled to Spain. He returned to Walford in 2003, after being tracked down by daughter Vicki. After wrestling back control of The Vic, he remained in Walford for just over a year, making a fresh set of enemies in Zoe Slater, Sam Mitchell and Chrissie Watts. And it was Chrissie who put him down for a second and final time, during a fateful run-in with the women in 2005. Who played Dirty Den? Actor Leslie Grantham played Den for both stints on the show. Grantham's second tenure came to an abrupt end when the actor became involved in a scandal involving online pornography - after which the BBC made the decision to write him out of the show. Grantham died in June 2018, aged 71. Following his death, screen wife Anita Dobson described him as "a wonderful and special actor, witty and very talented. I shall remember him very fondly and with affection." Read more: Who’s leaving, joining and returning to EastEnders? Complete list of cast exits, arrivals and returns. Share Good to Know Share By Joel Harley Sep 15 2025 By Joel Harley Sep 15 2025
