EastEnders will devote a special episode to the iconic Dot Branning later this year, in which residents of Albert Square will come together to pay their respects at her funeral.
The legendary character was played by the late June Brown from 1985 until 2020 (including a four-year break), making her one of the longest-serving EastEnders actors in the show’s history.
Sadly, she passed away in April of this year at the age of 95, with her passing not yet acknowledged by the show to allow cast and crew time to mourn the enormous loss.
In a statement, executive producer Chris Clenshaw says that the EastEnders team are finally ready to address the matter and will do so in a special episode expected to air towards the end of the year.
When we last saw the character, she moved to Ireland to be closer to her grandson, Charlie, but Dot’s funeral will be held in Walford as per her wishes, citing it as the place she always called home.
Chris Clenshaw, Executive Producer, said: “Everyone at EastEnders was truly heartbroken when June passed away earlier this year and, for quite a while, no-one could even think about saying goodbye to Dot; an iconic character who will go down in television history and be cherished forever.
“June was always adamant that she never wanted Dot’s time to end while she was still with us, but she also knew that EastEnders would rightly say their farewells to Dot when the time was right.
“Sadly that time has come and we are determined to give the audience, who treasured Dot for so many years, the fitting tribute that she so deeply deserves. So whilst it will be a very, very sad day in Walford, we will be giving Dot the send-off that she and June would want and rightly deserve.”
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