EastEnders stars returning for 'Dot Cotton' June Brown's funeral. Check out details

Some of EastEnders’ most recognisable characters will return to the show this winter to say one last goodbye to Dot Cotton. The returning cast members are presently shooting scenes at Albert Square that will update viewers on their lives as they share their favourite recollections of Dot, the character played by June Brown and last appeared in the show in January 2020.

Dot Branning's longtime soap opera portrayer June Brown passed away in April 2022 at 95. Except for a sabbatical between 1993 and 1997, she was a regular for 2,884 episodes since joining Albert Square not long after the soap opera debuted in 1985. In 2020, she quit the show.




However, to bid the final goodbye to the iconic character, Dot's step-granddaughter Lauren Branning will be joined by old friends Colin Russell, Barry Clark, George "Lofty" Holloway, Mary "the punk" Smith, and Disa O'Brien.

Fans had poured their love on her relationship with Jim Branning, who was portrayed by John Bardon, and her motherhood of legendary criminal Nick Cotton, who John Altman portrayed.

Dot Cotton was the sole star of an episode titled Pretty Baby that aired on January 31, 2008; in it, she spoke to her husband about her life through a cassette recorder while he was in the hospital recovering from a stroke. Both critics and viewers praised the episode.

Before joining EastEnders, June Brown appeared in the period dramas The Duchess Of Duke Street and Oliver Twist, Coronation Street, Doctor Who, Minder, and The Bill.

FAQs

What were the topics handled by Dot Cotton?
Dot Cotton’s most significant tales tackled contentious topics like euthanasia, cancer, and homophobia.


Did June Brown serve in the Royal Service?
After the Second World War, June Brown served in the Women's Royal Naval Service before departing to attend the Lambeth branch of the Old Vic Theatre School in London.