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June Brown who played EastEnders’ legend Dot Cotton, dies aged 95

Actor June Brown who played Dot Cotton on Eastenders, has died aged 95 the BBC has announced in a statement that paid tribute tot he legendary TV star

June Brown as Dot Cotton
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Eastenders 

Actor June Brown has died aged 95, the BBC has announced. Brown will be best remembered for her role in Eastenders, where she played the chain-smoking, gossip loving, god-fearing Dot Cotton. Dot was one of the TV series’ longest-running characters, first appearing in the series in 1985 – the year EastEnders premiered.

“We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved June Brown, OBE, MBE, sadly passed away last night,” A BBC spokesperson wrote in tribute to Brown. “There are not enough words to describe how much June was loved and adored by everyone at EastEnders, her loving warmth, wit and great humour will never be forgotten.

“June created one of the most iconic characters in Dot Cotton, not just in soap but in British television, and having appeared in 2,884 episodes, June’s remarkable performances created some of EastEnders’ finest moments,” the statement continued. “We send all our love and deepest sympathies to June’s family and friends. A very bright light has gone out at EastEnders today but we shall all be raising a sweet sherry in June’s memory.”

Brown’s family have asked for privacy following the news. According to Sky, a spokesperson for the family released the following statement, “We are deeply saddened to announce our beloved mother, June, passed away very peacefully at her home in Surrey on Sunday evening, with her family by her side.”

Tributes have already begun to pour in for the Eastenders legend, including her former co-stars. Adam Woodyatt – who played Ian Beale on the soap – said he was “lost for words” and described Brown as an “incredible” woman and actor.

Read tributes to Brown here:

While most will probably remember Brown for the 2008 episode – where Dot weighed up sending her ill husband to a care home – that she carried literally single-handedly, this writer will never forget her iconic Graham Norton appearance.

Brown appeared on the show with Lady Gaga, and the pair immediately hit it off, becoming firm friends during the recording.

After graduating with an MA in journalism from the University of Salford, Tom set out to make a career for himself in the heady world of entertainment journalism. After spending six years working at UNILAD (and moonlighting at the BBC) where he interviewed the likes of Hugh Grant, Hugh Jackman, and Hugh Bonneville (plus other people not called Hugh) he left to find his fortune as editor at The Digital Fix where he spends his days trying to guess if the MCU's Doctor Doom will be in Avengers Secret Wars, thinking about Spider-Man, and watching Game of Thrones in a desperate attempt to untangle the Targaryen family tree.