EastEnders veteran June Brown, who played Dot Cotton, dies at 95

Brown first appeared in the series in 1985, the year EastEnders was created; she was already in her late 50s when she first joined the cast. She was given an OBE last year as well an MBE for services to drama and charity back in 2008.

She stayed until 1993, returning to play the same character from 1997 until 2020 - more than three decades as one of the most iconic roles in British soap history. The chain-smoking Christian chatterbox was a beloved British archetype and is synonymous with some of the best storylines the show ever had, including Nasty Nick's murder plot and helping close friend Ethel end her life.