Some of June Brown's most memorable moments as Dot Cotton in EastEnders

June Brown will forever be remembered for her famous role as Dot Cotton in EastEnders – a character she played for 35 years.

Brown passed away on Monday at the age of 95.

Often seen with a cigarette in her hand, and always on hand to offer a dry comment or two, Dot Cotton was the devoutly religious, laundrette-running, hypochondriac that EastEnders viewers adored.

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Here are just a few of her most memorable moments.

Dot helps best friend Ethel die – 2000

It was a heartbreaking moment in 2000, as Dot was asked by her best friend Ethel Skinner (played by Gretchen Franklin) to help her end her life on her 86th birthday.

In one of Dot’s grittier storylines, Ethel celebrated her birthday (she told everyone she was 85) in the Queen Vic before sneaking off home.

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Going against her Christian faith, Dot agreed to hand over a bag of pills to her best friend, after Ethel begged her to help her die.

The episode ended with the heartbreaking line: “You’re the best friend I ever had.”

Dot gets cancer – 2004

Despite being a mega hypochondriac, Dot only told one person when she was hit with a cancer storyline in 2004.

The only person who knew was Dennis Rickman – who Dot had struck up a warm gossipy relationship with in the laundrette – but who was encouraging her to tell others for support.

The storyline won praise from Macmillan Cancer Support, with experts also being used to help make the narrative as realistic as possible.

Dot’s monologue – 2008

A soap opera first in the UK, Brown filmed an episode of EastEnders in which she was the only character on screen.

It started after she walked down the aisle with her old flame Jim Branning in 2002, setting into place one of Albert Square’s funniest double acts.

However, in 2007, John Bardon, who played Jim, suffered a stroke.

To keep him in the show, producers had his character also have a stroke, with Jim being admitted to hospital.

It paved the way for Dot to star in her own episode of EastEnders, as way of recording a message to Jim in hospital.

The episode scored Brown a BAFTA nomination.

Dot goes to prison for killing her son – 2015

By 2015, Dot had finally had enough of her son Nasty Nick (played by John Altman).

After faking his own death only a few months earlier, Dot’s patience had worn thin.

She had previously welcomed him back in to her life with open arms, despite him being a scheming heroin addict who had, at times, tried to kill her.

But enough was enough. After a series of events saw him holed up in an abandoned house, he begged his mum to buy him heroin, only to get ill.

He died in his mother’s arms, after using his final breath to say his gravelly trademark “maaaa” when she refused to call an ambulance.

She was later sent down for 14 months for manslaughter.

Mr Papadopolous? Mr Oppodopolus?

She never could get the name of her former boss Mr Papadopolous right could she?

As part of a long-running joke, Dot often called him Mr Oppodopolus or Mr Oppydoppy after struggling with the pronunciation of his name.

It was a glimpse into her lighter moments among the heavy storylines she was often involved with.

Dot was also known for uttering “ooh I say!” when she was perhaps a little stuck for words, with elements of humour and comedy often written into her role.

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