Coming up next week on EastEnders, Dot Branning (June Brown) is terrified that she’s going to lose her home on the Square as the court hearing looms…

The hearing was of course ordered by Walford Council after they learned that Dot had been subletting her house to tenants – and most notably to Cora Cross (Ann Mitchell) who failed to pay the rent – and had got into arrears.

However, her friends on the Square are set to be horrified to learn of the court case, and the fact that Dot’s been issued with an eviction notice, so Fatboy (Ricky Norwood) and Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) decide to fight Dot’s corner… Read more & comment »

The Great British soap opera has become segmented in our lives, with the likes of Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks providing us with over 22,850 episodes between them totalling over 11,500 hours since they all began entertaining us, making them almost an extension of our own lives.

With these facts and figures which make the likes of the Mitchells, the Barlow’s, the McQueen’s and the Dingles such a strong influence on society, it is no wonder the divorce rate in Britain today is so high.

The average relationship life expectancy in soapland is anywhere between six weeks and six years, and whilst weddings occur almost weekly on one mainstream soap or another, successful, long and fulfilling marriages are almost unheard of.
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June Brown is of course a legend in her EastEnders role as Dot Cotton, however, in an interview with TV Biz this week, she’s revealed that in her younger days, she’d wanted to become a doctor!

86 year old June, who joined the cast of EastEnders in its first series back in 1985, said, “In my early days I might have liked to have done something with medicine.

“I think I would have quite liked to have been a doctor. But I decided not to stick with it because of the long training.”

She added, “I wouldn’t have had the confidence to trust myself as a doctor… Read more & comment »

Tonight sees the second instalment of new BBC2 sitcom, Heading out, starring and written by British comedy genius Sue Perkins, and Unreality TV were privileged enough to catch up with one of its main stars, Joanna Scanlan, to find out all the goss for the rest of the series.

Heading Out tells the story of Sara, a veterinarian who is given an ultimatum by her friends to tell her parents that she is gay.

In order to help her ‘come out’, Sara’s friends buy her 6 weeks’ worth of sessions with a life coach in the form of eccentric netball player, Toria (Joanna Scanlan), before her parents are due to visit so that Sara can come clean to them at last.
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Fans of EastEnders will know that Cora Cross (Ann Mitchell) is persona non grata as far as Dot Branning is concerned, given that while Dot was away from the Square, she allowed Cora to live in her house on condition she paid the rent and the bills…

However, Cora did neither, so now, poor Dot (June Brown) faces the possibility of losing her home and is in debt as she tries to pay all the bills left by Cora.

So when things suddenly begin disappearing, Dot – who threw Cora out a couple of weeks ago – suspects that her former houseguest is taking stealing the items. And in the episode that airs on Tuesday, March 5th, when some cuts of cold meat mysteriously vanish from the fridge, Dot storms off to confront Cora and to demand she hand back the keys to the house. Read more & comment »

Last night saw the 18th annual National Television Awards at London’s O2 arena, and what a night it was.

All the stars were out in force to celebrate the highly acclaimed ceremony, with some of them having too much fun…

Before the awards even began Celebrity Juice presenter, Keith Lemon, decided to entertain the cold masses outside on the red carpet with star jumps, after a making a dash to the gents as soon as he arrived.
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EastEnders fans will of course know that last year, Dot Branning (June Brown) left Walford after what had been yet another annus horribilis for the downtrodden granny…

She wanted time away from Walford and therefore headed off to stay with friends, however, she’s headed back to the Square, but as we’ll see in a Red Button special tomorrow night – which is entitled Dorothy Branning: The Next Chapter – Dot’s initially in no hurry to come back to Albert Square.

Until that is her step-granddaughter Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald) tracks her down and convinces her that the good ship Branning needs her at the helm to guide the troubled relations back to some kind of normality… Read more & comment »

Dot Branning has of course been away from the Square for months now, having taken herself off to visit relatives and have a break from the various and nefarious activities of her family…

However, her return is heralded by the death of her stepson Derek Branning (Jamie Foreman) at Christmas, and to celebrate the return of the EastEnders icon, the BBC are to air a Red Button special which will see Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald) tracking down her MIA step-granny.

While announcing the one-off mini-episode, which is entitled Dorothy Branning: The Next Chapter, the BBC stated, “Why has Dot stayed away from Walford for so long? Why won’t she come home?

“We’re about to find out when Abi Branning leaves the East End on a mission to seek out her Grandma Dot…” Read more & comment »

In tonight’s episode of EastEnders, we’re set to see Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) doing her best to shun the advances of her persistent Branning brother lover who just will not take ‘No’ for an answer!

However, as Kat is trying really hard to avoid the temptation to cheat on Alfie (Shane Richie) again, in a bid to save their marriage, she’s left furious when her lover sends her a note asking her to meet him in the bedsit that has been their love nest…

Furious Kat calls her mystery man and tells him that she has no intention of meeting up with him for an illicit tryst, and warns him to stop contacting her. However, it would seem he knows Kat better than she knows herself, and when he continues to call and text, she storms round to the bedsit to tell him in person that it’s over.

But when she gets there, she finds that he’s put rose petals on the bed, has champagne on ice and has written her a loving message via the medium of lipstick on a mirror… Read more & comment »

There’s great news for EastEnders fans today in that the BBC have announced that June Brown is headed back to Walford to reprise her role as Square stalwart Dot Cotton in the New Year.

Fans will recall that June took a few months off from the show earlier this year to work on her autobiography and to front hard-hitting BBC documentary series, Respect Your Elders.

Dot will be back in January, quite possibly to pick up the pieces of the Branning family after what we’re told is to be an “explosive” Christmas for the family, who, by then, will be minus hard man and villain Derek Branning (Jamie Foreman) who’s being written out over the festive period.

The show’s Executive Producer Lorraine Newman, said, “Dot is one of the EastEnders best-loved characters and Albert Square hasn’t been the same without her.” Read more & comment »

EastEndes matriarch, Dot Branning, is to return to the award-winning soap in New Year, the BBC have today confirmed, after what producers are calling an “explosive Christmas” in Albert Square!

Dot, played by June Brown, was last seen on our EatsEnders screens in July when, after the trauma of Heather Trott’s murder, she went to visit her granddaughter, Dotty, along with her sister, Rose.
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As fans of EastEnders will know, veteran actress June Brown – who of course plays Dot Branning – is currently taking a break from the show, but she’s most certainly not using the time to do any resting!

Despite being 85 years old, in addition to having recently filmed a very moving documentary for the BBC’s elder season with her former co-star John Bardon, who played Dot Branning’s husband Jim, June is also writing her auto-biography and looking to start a career in music.

For her foray into the world of music, June is reportedly teaming up with her godson, musician Tim Arnold – who is of course dating June’s EastEnders co-star Jessie Wallace – to make her debut single… Read more & comment »

As fans of EastEnders will know, June Brown who plays Dot Cotton, is currently on extended leave from the show, and part of her time spent away from the soap was to film June Brown: Respect Your Elders, which will air on BBC1 on Thursday at 10.35pm…

And in it, according to the Daily Mirror, we’ll see June visiting her co-star John Bardon who of course played the role of Dot’s husband Jim Branning until he had a devastating stroke, which saw him having to leave the role.

However, John’s stroke was written into Dot and Jim’s storyline, and Jim was of course an occasional visitor back in Walford at times when John was well enough to make brief appearances.

But as we’ll see in the show, sadly 73 year old John’s condition has deteriorated and he now needs constant 24/7 care from his elderly wife Edna, as he’s unable to walk and is speech impaired… Read more & comment »

EastEnders star June Brown has asked for time off from the show and her role as Dot Cotton in order to write her autobiography.

It seems that 85 year old June – who’s starred in the show since 1985 but who left for four years in 1993 to return in 1997 – initially asked the show’s bosses for a year off, however, she ultimately agreed to a six month sabbatical.

A show insider told the Daily Mirror, “Some friends on the set feared she may be considering a permanent exit…

“But EastEnders bosses are determined to keep her and they have offered her six months off which she has taken.

“She has admitted the filming can be exhausting and she feels some time off is long overdue.” Read more & comment »

In tonight’s All Star Family Fortunes, Eastenders Dot Cotton played by June Brown takes on Simon Webbe from boy band Blue.

Hosted by Vernon Kay, both celebrities and their families go head to head playing for big money, and the chance to win up to £30,000 for the charity of their choice.

Saturday, 25 February 2012, 6:05PM – 7:05PM ITV1