June Brown – Dot Cotton from EastEnders

Dot Cotton is one of the most beloved characters in the history of British soaps, and it’s no coincidence she was given her own spinoff in 2003: Dot’s Story. EastEnders’ second-longest-serving character, Cotton is the perfect representation of a tragicomic mother who loves to gossip.

Behind a great character, there’s a great actress: the ever-young June Brown is a mother of six who’s spent the last 36 years (if you exclude a six-year hiatus) working in EastEnders. She’s also appeared in many popular British talk shows, including Loose Women and The One Show.