EastEnders star, June Brown passed away Sunday afternoon at 95 years of age. She was found in her home near London, and her death was announced on the EastEnders Twitter account not long after.
1/3“We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved June Brown, OBE, MBE sadly passed away last night. There are not enough words to describe how much June was loved and adored by everyone at EastEnders, her loving warmth, wit and great humour will never be forgotten… pic.twitter.com/7OYtHJiIUb
— BBC EastEnders (@bbceastenders) April 4, 2022
EastEnders is a British soap opera created in 1985 by Julia Smith and Tony Holland. Broadcast on BBC One, it depicts the residents of Albert Square, a setting in the fictional borough of Walford, London, as they go about their daily lives. The show boasts a large and varied cast, with Albert Square residents including Tiffany Butcher-Baker, played by Maisie Smith (The Other Boelyn Girl), and Mick Carter, portrayed by Danny Dyer (Human Traffic, High Heels and Low Lifes). Brown appeared as Dorothy “Dot” Cotton, who the New York Times dubs “a chain-smoking bundle of prejudices,” for over 2,000 episodes ranging from 1985 to 1993 and then from 1997 to 2020 when she retired for good.
Outside of EastEnders
Aside from EastEnders, June Brown also appeared in such notable roles as Lady Eleanor in season 11 of Doctor Who, Elsie Grant in God’s Wonderful Railway (1980), and Sozzie in Heading Out (2013). According to TVLine, Brown was also voted as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2008 and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) earlier this year.
As far as her personal life is concerned, Brown was born on February 16, 1927. During World War II, Brown served in the Women’s Royal Navy Service, or Wrens. She married actor John Garley in 1950; however, Garley passed away in 1957. In 1958, she met actor Robert Arnold and remarried; the couple had six children together and remained together until 2003, when Arnold passed away due to dementia.
Her family and co-stars have shared many heartfelt condolences in tribute in honor of Brown’s passing.
