EastEnders fans spot poignant nod to Dot Branning ahead of heart-wrenching Walford funeral

DOT Cotton vanished from our screens in January, 2020, after starting afresh in Ireland.

However, EastEnders fans have become convinced she will be mentioned again in memory of legendary actress June Brown.

BBC

Dot Cotton hasn’t been seen in Walford since January, 2020, after she left for Galway[/caption]

BBC ONE

Her granddaughter Dotty has found herself in a rough spot again back in Albert Square[/caption]

BBC ONE

She’s planning on moving out after being accused of making a mess in Kathy Beale’s home[/caption]

The iconic character left Albert Square to visit her grandson Charlie before eventually deciding to leave Walford behind altogether and remain in Galway.

But while Dot gave herself a new beginning away from the drama, her granddaughter Dotty (played by Milly Zero) is still a familiar face in the Square.

And during last night’s episode of the BBC One soap, viewers couldn’t help but spot a nod which could suggest Dot would have a small part in a new storyline.

Dotty has been welcomed to stay with her biological father, Rocky, after being kicked out by her former boyfriend Vinny Panesar who found out she had slept with Finlay Baker.

Although she was on board with Rocky, Kathy Beale had a change of heart as she falsely accused Dotty of making a mess in her house – and Dotty decided it was time for her to move out.

This prompted her to ask Sonia Fowler if she could move in with her and contemplate calling her grandmother about a house she owns.

Soap fans immediately swarmed over to Twitter, firmly believing this will lead up to Walford residents finding out Dot passed away off-screen as a tribute to the late June Brown.

The actress herself breathed her last on April 3, 2022, at the age of 95.

“How’s Dotty going to ring Dot and when will the Square find out what’s happened to her”, one viewer penned.

A second fan wrote: “Looks like Dotty’s storyline is build up for dot’s passing”, while another commented: “I feel sorry for Dotty.”

EastEnders bosses confirmed they planned an “emotional goodbye” to Dot and June Brown in a brand new storyline, with news of the character’s death reaching the Square.

This could lead to an emotional on-screen tribute airing this winter.

Executive producer Chris Clenshaw spoke about the storyline, teasing it as the send-off Dot and June “would want and rightly deserve.”

“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.”

“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.”

The producer then added: “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.”

But how will it play out on screens and how will Dotty cope?

EastEnders airs from Monday to Thursday on BBC One.

BBC ONE

Fans believe this could be the start of a new storyline in which Dotty finds out her grandmother died off-screen[/caption]

Alamy

Actress June Brown passed away in April, 2022, at the age of 95[/caption]