EastEnders veteran actress June Brown, has announced her decision to leave the BBC soap after 35 years playing the iconic character, Dot Cotton. The 93-year-old legend revealed she felt “bereaved” after turning down signing a new contract.
After leaving the soap abruptly last month when discovering Sonia Fowler (played by Natalie Cassidy) had done the dirty on her and tried to steal her money, she packed up and moved to Ireland to help grandson Charlie Cotton (Declan Bennett) take care of his new baby.
And now, it looks like she won’t be coming back.
In an exclusive with The Sun, she told the publication that she’s “left for good”.
She said: “I don’t want a retainer for EastEnders, I’ve left. I’ve left for good.
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“I’ve sent her off to Ireland where she’ll stay.
“I’ve left EastEnders. I did make up a limerick. It’s a bit dirty.
“I went back to do a good story. Alas and alack, when I got back it had gone up in smoke.
“I got a small part, a very small part. And that ended up as a big wet fart. Alas and alack, I will never go back.”
Speaking about her departure on the Distinct Nostalgia podcast, June chatted with her former co-star Rani Singh, who played shop owner Sufia Karim in the late 1980s.
One of her most memorable storylines was when she killed her villainous son on the 30th anniversary, after giving him a fatal dose of heroin, leaving him to meet his maker.
The Sun reported soap bosses had no idea June wasn’t planning to return.
Upon hearing the news, fans of the chain-smoking favourite have taken to Twitter to share their surprise and sorrow that Dot won’t be returning to Walford.
One demanded: “And that was her exit, you’d have thought they’d given her a better one seen as though she is the Dot Cotton.”
“June needs to be lured back so that Dot can have an iconic exit like she deserves,” another said.
“So Dot’s never coming back from Ireland then #EastEnders,” a third wailed.
A fourth exclaimed: “I am SHOCKED. This is not the way I thought Dot Cotton would leave.”
Others wished her well in retirement: “Enjoy Retirement. Won’t be the same without you,” one cheered for the veteran actress.
“Bless her, she’s done amazing! She will be missed as Dot Cotton but all the best to her!” another applauded.
A third said: “Speechless. Gonna miss Dot so much, though.”
Express.co.uk approached EastEnders for comment.
EastEnders continues tonight at 7:30pm on BBC.
