June Brown, a former EastEnders actress, died on April 3 in Surrey, England. Her relatives reported that they were heartbroken to learn of her death and that she died quietly at home. Adam Woodyatt, her co-star, described her as “a wonderful lady.” According to a program spokesperson:
“There aren’t enough words to convey how much June was liked and admired by everyone at EastEnders; her loving warmth, wit, and excellent humor will be remembered forever.” June developed one of the most famous characters in Dot Cotton, not only in soap, but in British television, and having starred in 2884 episodes, June’s amazing performances contributed to some of EastEnders’ best moments.”
June Brown’s Age
June Brown was 95 years old when she passed away. The reason, however, has not been discovered until now. She received a scholarship to Ipswich High School after attending St John’s Church of England School. She was evacuated to the Welsh hamlet of Pontyates in Carmarthenshire during WWII.
Career
Brown served in the Wrens and afterward received classical training at the Old Vic Theatre School in London’s Lambeth district. Initially, the Psychomania star had tiny appearances in Coronation Street, Play for Today, Edna, the Inebriate Woman, The Time Warrior, and other shows. She portrayed Mrs. Leyton in the BBC television drama Duke Street and Mrs. Mann in the BBC television series Oliver Twist.
June starred in the 1997 wartime big band comedy Ain’t Misbehavin and in the BBC production of Gormenghast in 2000 as Nancy Slagg. She later appeared in films such as Sunday Bloody Sunday, Sitting Target, The 14, Murder by Decree, and The Mambo Kings in lesser parts. Moreover, she played Tom Hedden’s wife in the 1971 psychological thriller Straw Dogs, albeit her parts were cut. She later co-starred with Phoebe Cates in the 1984 TV miniseries Lace.
The Margery and Gladys actress hosted the BBC program Respect Your Seniors in 2012, which focused on society’s treatment and attitude toward elders. Brown rose to prominence for her role as Dot Cotton in the BBC serial series EastEnders. She portrayed the part from 1985 to 2020, and in 2009 she was nominated for a British Academy Television Award for Best Actress. Furthermore, she took a six-month vacation from the program in 2012, intending to write her memoirs. She returned to the program in 2013, and the same year, her book was released.
Twitter is inundated with tributes.
June Brown rose to prominence as a result of her involvement in EastEnders, as well as other films and television series. When news of her death broke, many took to Twitter to express their sorrow:
Super-professional. Always brilliant. True legend. RIP June 🙏🕊😔
BBC News – EastEnders veteran June Brown dies at 95https://t.co/fDilJOvD7P
— Davood Ghadami (@DavoodGhadami) April 4, 2022
RIP June Brown, 95.
A wonderfully talented actress whose long-time portrayal of irascible fag-puffing Dot Cotton in EastEnders was one of the all-time great performances in British Television.
June was such a funny, feisty, fabulous lady off screen too. Very sad news. pic.twitter.com/qhg2qqUdcd— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) April 4, 2022
She married actor John Garley in 1950, but he committed himself in 1957 due to despair. Brown later married actor Robert Arnold in 1958, and the couple had six children, one of whom died in infancy. June and Robert had been married for 45 years when Arnold died of Lewy-body dementia in 2003. She subsequently lived alone in Surrey, and her six children survived her.