EastEnders bosses pay poignant tribute to late cleaning soap legend June Brown in transfer ‘she would little doubt have authorized of’

EastEnders bosses have paid a poignant tribute to the late June Brown – aka the inimitable Dot Cotton – in a move ‘she would no doubt have approved of.’ 

The actress, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 95, was one of Albert Square’s most beloved residents, both on set and behind the scenes.

Now, to honour her love of the canteen, bosses have decided to rename the on-set eatery On The Dot.  

A source said: ‘Naming the canteen after June was something she would no doubt have approved of, and she would have seen the funny side of it.

‘Plus it was always a place where, over many fags and cups of tea, she could be found holding court with several of her adoring cast members hanging off her every words.’ 

The tribute comes ahead of 2027, which would have marked the star’s 100th birthday. 

EastEnders bosses have paid a poignant tribute to the late June Brown – aka the inimitable Dot Cotton – in a move ‘she would not doubt have approved of’

Now, to honour her love of the canteen, bosses have decided to rename the on-set eatery On The Dot

Reflecting on the actress’s antics on in the canteen, Michelle Collins, who plays Cindy Beale, said that she was a character in quite literally ever way – and healthier than some people might have thought.  

She said: ‘I know she smoked and loved her red wine (but) she was very healthy. I saw her once doing her pelvic floor exercises on the trolley in the canteen.’

John Altman, otherwise known as Nasty Nick on the show, said that while the actress could be frequently found in the canteen, her sheer popularity on set meant that it would often take her some time to get there. 

He said: ‘We’d walk to the canteen at the BBC and it would always take about half an hour because she’d stop along the way chatting to people.’ 

The poignant tribute comes as June’s former co-star Katie Jarvis previously revealed how the soap veteran was allowed to break the rules by smoking on set.

She told The Sun: ‘I always remember, June sat down, and she was just smoking and smoking … Yeah she was the only one that was allowed! … 

‘She’d always be working as an actress daily. She put her cigarette down, went on the set, and she’s reading these pages of dialogue …

‘She knew all of her lines never got them wrong, and obviously, she was always allowed to walk around smoking!’

The actress, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 95, was one of Albert Square’s most beloved residents, both on set and behind the scenes

A source said: ‘Naming the canteen after June was something she would no doubt have approved of, and she would have seen the funny side of it’

After June’s death, she was remembered on the show as they screened a funeral for her character Dot and the actress’ real life children were among those seen mourning the loss onscreen.

It was revealed that June didn’t want her character to be killed off while she was still alive so EastEnders bosses spoke to her family after her death and were given the greenlight to show Dot’s funeral in the soap.

Executive producer Chris Kershaw told the same outlet: ‘She did of course know that when she did leave us, it was the right thing to do. 

‘After some time, we couldn’t put it off much longer. We spoke to June’s family who knew it was what she would have wanted.’

EastEnders airs at 7:30pm on Monday to Thursday on BBC1 One and is available to stream on iPlayer.