EastEnders bosses axe emotional Dotty Cotton storyline after June Brown’s death

A CONTROVERSIAL storyline that was set to end Dot Cotton’s bloodline on EastEnders has been sensationally axed by BBC bosses.

The decision to pull the plug on the proposed storyline was made following Dot Cotton actress June Brown’s sad passing in April earlier this year. 

The storyline was first brought up last year during the Christmas Day episode where Dot’s on-screen granddaughter Dotty, played by actress Milly Zero, was left facing questions over the truth behind her paternity. 

Now it has been revealed that BBC chiefs originally planned for Dotty to discover she was not a direct relation of Dot and thus ending Dot’s bloodline on the soap and leaving her with no remaining relatives. 

June Brown played the iconic character of Dot from the show’s inception in 1985 before exiting the soap in 2020 after feeling her character was underused by BBC execs. 

On-screen, Dot has been away living in Ireland but in a special episode set to be aired later this year residents of Albert Sqaure will learn of Dot’s death before her funeral takes place in her home of Walford surrounded by her family and friends. 

The axing of the proposed story means that Dot’s lineage will live on as Dotty firmly remains her granddaughter. 

Last year, both viewers at home and Dotty herself were stunned to discover that Dot’s wayward son Nick Cotton may not have been Dotty’s biological father after all.

In a further devastating and cruel twist, Nick’s half-brother Rocky Cotton (played by Brian Conley) was thought to be her biological father instead. 

This news caused a frosty relationship between Dotty and Rocky although it has noticeably improved over recent weeks. 

In a chat with Vinny Panesar, Rocky cleared up any confusion over the confusing plotholes left unanswered as a result of the axed story. 

Rocky insisted to Vinny he never had a relationship with Dotty’smother, Sandra, and that Nick was most certainly her father. 

This admission will be of relief to fans who criticised the BBC show over the forgotten storyline earlier this year before the new revelation that it had been cancelled. 

Earlier this year, fans took to  Digital Spy’s Forum to air their thoughts and confusion over the forgotten plot.

One user wrote: “It’s starting to look like Rocky being Dotty’s dad has been quietly forgotten about. 

“It was the big Christmas reveal yet here we are at the end of the summer and the story has gone precisely nowhere.

“Both characters have moved in different directions now and barely interact any more, and Sandy hasn’t appeared since (or even really been mentioned much). If they ever do decide to revisit this plot will anybody care? Did anyone even care in the first place?”

However, following Rocky and Vinny’s chat, it appears that all is resolved for fans of the BBC One soap.

EastEnders airs Monday-Thursday 7:30pm on BBC One.