EastEnders has revealed that Dot Cotton's (June Brown) funeral episode will end with a specially written theme tune in honour of the iconic character.

The Walford residents were devastated to learn that Dot had sadly passed away and now the Square's residents are set to pay their respects in a heartbreaking send-off for one of the soap's most legendary characters.

Dot's death was written into EastEnders after the passing of actress June Brown OBE, MBE, who played Dot for 31 years until she was 93 years old.

Now, like many other soap icons, Dot will receive her own special theme tune, aptly named Dot's Theme, which will play at the end of her funeral episode.

Over the years, composer Simon May has reworked the show's alternative theme tune, famously known as Julia's Theme to say goodbye to many other soap legends.

Julia's Theme is usually played at the end of a beloved character's final episode and Dot will be following the likes of Peggy's Theme and Pat's Theme with her own dedicated theme tune.

Peggy's Theme was played when Peggy Mitchell's (Barbara Windsor) last episode aired in 2010 and Pat's Theme was featured when Pat Butcher (Pam St Clement) left the show in 2012. Now, we have Dot's Theme to add to the list.

In another special twist, Dot's funeral episode will be slightly extended to air for 37 minutes and three of June's children, Nim, Sophie and Billy, will also appear in the episode to join the residents in mourning their mother.

EastEnders' executive producer Chris Clenshaw spoke to What To Watch about how he felt taking on the big responsibility of paying tribute to Dot.

He said: "It was an enormous amount of pressure. I think every story we tell comes with a huge responsibility, and any kind of exit for a character comes with a huge responsibility. 

"But when you have to say goodbye to an iconic character that pretty much everyone in the country knows who they are — one of the most-loved characters to ever grace our screens on British television, it comes with an enormous amount of pressure. Especially knowing that June had passed away earlier this year.

"I think we all felt that, all the way through the process. From the storylining, to the script, through the shoot. Our wonderful director Richard Lynn is here this evening. He and Nat, and all the rest of the cast and crew, will be able to tell you the atmosphere that was on the floor during the shoot was slightly different.

"There was a lot of respect. People weren't just saying goodbye to Dot, they were saying goodbye to June. Through that process, I think June guided us, I'd say. Every decision we made through the process, we were always questioning: 'What would June say? Would June like this?'"

EastEnders airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm on BBC One — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now. 

EastEnders paid a touching tribute to the soap legend June Brown during last night’s episode (Monday, June 4) by recreating Dot Cotton’s first scene on the soap as a nod to the iconic character.

June made her first appearance in EastEnders as Dot Cotton on July 4, 1985 and to commemorate the anniversary of her first-ever scene, the soap decided to do a clever homage involving Dot’s granddaughter Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy).

As Sonia walked into the café, wearing a similar trench coat to Dot’s, she said to Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth): “Give us a tea, Kath and a glass of water so I can take a paracetamol.”

These were the first words Dot said as she made her debut on the Square 37 years ago when she entered the café.

Sonia then referenced the soap icon as she continued with: “That early shift was a nightmare. You know, I’ve called on the Lord so many times I think I’m turning into Dot.”

The soap also gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at how they recreated the scene, which you can watch below…

June sadly passed away in April at the age of 95 after becoming a national treasure playing Dot Cotton in the long-running soap for 31 years.

She was involved in some huge storylines over the years, including Nasty Nick's murder plot, when her son, played by John Altman, planned to poison her so he could steal her big bingo winnings to use on drugs.

Thankfully he changed his mind at the last minute, but fans were on the edge of their seats as the storyline played out. 

At the time of her passing, the BBC said: "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 adopted by everyone at EastEnders, her loving warmth, wit and great humour will never be forgotten. June created one of the most iconic characters in Dot Cotton, not just in soap but in British television, and having appeared in 2884 episodes, June's remarkable performances created some of EastEnders finest moments.

"We send all our love and deepest sympathies to June's family and friends.

"A very bright light has gone out at EastEnders today, but we shall all be raising a sweet sherry in June's memory. Rest in peace, our dearest June. You will never be forgotten."

EastEnders airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm on BBC One — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now. 

The Tiffany Butcher actress has been on the soap since she was six...

EastEnders star Maisie Smith wants to work on the iconic soap for the rest of her career.

She joined Walford in 2008 and it seems she's not ready to leave any time soon.

Maisie plays Tiffany, the daughter of Bianca Jackson and Ricky Butcher and has been in this role since she was six.

Maisie told The Sun, "That would be quite cool, wouldn’t it? To have my entire life shown on EastEnders. If I started and ended my career like Dot, that’s pretty iconic. It’s definitely the goal."

EastEnders legend June Brown left the soap this year, after spending nearly 35 years playing Dot Cotton.

As a result, June became one of the longest running members of the EastEnders cast.

WHAT IS ON TONIGHT? Check out our NEW and improved TV Guide

But despite being happy to stick around, Maisie admitted she'd have to see where her career takes her.

She added, "But I’m only young, you know — EastEnders might not even want me next year. Who knows? But if ever I did leave I’d want to come back because it’s a lovely show to be on."

Maisie also addressed rumours that Bianca Jackson, played by Patsy Palmer, would be making a comeback.

Patsy has been unable to work on the soap long-term due to family commitments in LA.

Maisie said, "It would be lovely because we’ve got such a nice chemistry on and off screen, and I think it would definitely be a waste if we didn’t show that.

"And Patsy is a brilliant actress and it would be sad if I didn’t get to explore my adult life with Bianca as well as my childhood with her.

"When I came back after my couple of years off, I did research on Patsy as a teenager on the show because I thought that would influence a lot of my character choices and so I’m hoping that has come across.

And we might have to bring Ricky back as well. I’d love that — to have all the Jacksons back in the Square."

EastEnders will temporarily air a reduced schedule of two episodes a week. Watch on Mondays at 8pm and Tuesdays at 7:30pm on BBC One. 

Dot Branning will be reunited with grandson Charlie Cotton as he returns to EastEnders, but Jack wants to know what his intentions are - is he ready to step up as a father?

EastEnders’ Dot Branning will be reunited with her grandson Charlie Cotton following his shock return to Walford.

Charlie (Declan Bennett) will enjoy a catch-up with Dot (June Brown) in Monday night’s episode as Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) struggles to understand what his intentions are.

Max instigated Charlie's comeback after speaking to Dot about how Jack is struggling to look after three children following Ronnie's death.

Despite Glenda Mitchell pleading for Dot not to contact Charlie, he is returning to Walford ready to take his son back from Jack.

Ronnie Mitchell fell pregnant with Charlie's baby after a one night stand. The pair eventually fell in love and later got married, but there was a dramatic twist of events when Ronnie was hit by a car. She delivered baby Matthew but spent months in a coma.

While Ronnie lay in a hospital bed, Charlie and Roxy started an affair. When Ronnie eventually woke up from her coma she discovered the truth about her husband and sister, and the couple went through an explosive break-up.

Charlie's last on-screen appearance was back in 2015, when viewers were left thinking Charlie had died after being forced out of the square by hard-man Vincent Hubbard - but it was later revealed that he was still alive alive.

Following Roxy and Ronnie's dramatic death at New Year it fell on Jack to look after his two children as well as Matthew. Grief has certainly been taking its toll on Jack, and his ability to look after the children is being questioned.

Max has used this as a way to get Charlie back on the scene and to cause Jack even more misery. How will Charlie and Jack's discussion about Matthew go down?

Friday night’s episode saw Charlie reunited with his son Matthew.

Confronting Jack he said: “Think it’s time we had a chat about my son, don’t you?”

One thing's for sure, Jack won't appreciate what Max has done. Will Max achieve what he has set out to do and destroy his brother's life?

The episode airs on Monday at 8pm.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JESSICA RANSOM.

EastEnders veteran June Brown, who turns 90 this month, said she does not want to retire because her role keeps her alive.

EastEnders actress June Brown said she does not want to retire because she thinks stopping working is what “kills you”.

June, who turns 90 this month, has been a fixture of the BBC soap as Dot Cotton – now Dot Branning – since the programme’s inception in 1985.

She has become a British cultural icon, having won several awards during her decades-long career, as well as being awarded an MBE in 2008 for her services to drama and charity.

During an appearance on BBC Radio 4′s Desert Island Discs, June said that still being part of the programme keeps her “alive”, but she fears losing her independence as she ages.

Asked by host Kirsty Young how she keeps her energy levels up to act, June said: “I haven’t really got very much now but I find when I get on set, my energy comes.

“It’s like people can go on stage and break an ankle and they don’t notice till they come off. But as soon as I get on the stage it’s as if I have energy.

“I can be feeling like death warmed up when I come in, and then I’m alive. It keeps me alive.”

She said work is a reason to get up in the morning, particularly for people of an advanced age.

“I think that’s why a lot of people are very lonely and get ill when they’re older, because I think loneliness and having no motivation, nothing to work towards … I think it kills you,” she told Kirsty.

June said her independence is “extremely important” to her and that she hates to “feel I am losing it”.

She said: “If people put out hands to help me out of a car I say ‘no thank you’ – I won’t accept it.

“And I get up and I don’t push myself up from the arm of a chair. I use my thighs because you have to do that. You can act yourself into age, you can act yourself into anything you want.”

The Bafta-nominated actress said she is “quite upset” about Dot losing her sight in EastEnders.

June said the character is “very quick” and that she does not want to lose herself if Dot also loses who she is due to poor health.

“I feel that Dot – she’s very quick and quick-moving and quick-speaking – and I do not want to become a dependant old woman, or otherwise my character’s gone, and I might as well not be there,” she said.

“I can run as Dot, I find myself running across the road, and I don’t want to lose my character.

“It’s like being in a wheelchair or something, and not ever getting out of it.”

June chose a selection of songs, including Cliff Richard’s Living Doll and Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters, and opted for tobacco seeds as her luxury item were she to find herself as a desert island castaway.

Desert Island Discs is on BBC Radio 4. To listen to the episode visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08dmr01

Actress June Brown is best-known as EastEnders laundrette Dot Cotton. But in a candid interview June revealed she has faced her own personal dramas off the square.

EastEnders star June Brown has been a TV favourite for more than three decades thanks to her role as laundrette assistant Dot Cotton.

June's character has taken on some of the soap's most memorable storylines, but the actress recently opened up about her personal life, in which she has had more than her fair share of heartache.

The 89 year old revealed her first husband, John Garley, committed suicide in 1957, seven years after they got married.

And June admitted she blames herself for the depressed actor's death after he gassed himself.

"I walked into the bedroom and there was Johnny, lying on the bed, the gas fire propped up next to him," she told The Sun.

"I’d got him breathing again but it was obvious he’d suffered severe brain damage."

John died in hospital three days later, but June confessed she felt guilty over the tragedy, as she had left him money in case their gas meter ran out.

"I didn’t want to think that if I hadn’t left him the one and eight pence he wouldn’t have been able to do it," she said.

June married Robert Arnold a year later, and they had six children together, but one child, Chloe, sadly passed away after she was born at 28 weeks.

June is set to celebrate her 90th birthday soon, and the BBC have paid tribute to the actress with a special documentary.

Co-stars including Danny Dyer, Adam Woodyatt and Lacey Turner have opened up about working with the soap star, who was 58 when she made her first appearance on the show in 1985.

"It’s only right that June should be honoured," Patrick Trueman actor Rudolph Walker explained.

"Her character isn’t just loved, June herself is so respected in the industry and by the public."

But while she is set to enjoy a huge milestone, she is adamant she won't be giving up her job any time soon.

"As long as I am capable of working, and can learn lines and move around, I will carry on," she said.

"I’d be utterly bored if I stopped."

June Brown At 90: A Walford Legend airs on Thursday, at 8:30pm, on BBC1.

EastEnders legend June Brown has revealed she is now battling both deafness and sight loss.

The 88-year-old actress, who plays Albert Square matriarch Dot Branning, admitted a few months ago that she was losing her vision – but now, after a recent flight, she has also been struggling with her hearing.

According to The Sun, Dot told the audience at London’s British Film Institute last weekend: “Sorry, I would like you all to shout because I can’t hear, you see. I am ever so sorry. I am straining here.”

June Brown in February (Yui Mok/PA)

When her pal Barbara Windsor, 78, brought her on stage, she asked, “Are you talking to me Babs? Tell me, because I’m deaf you see and it’s very hard for me to hear so I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She told the newspaper she had lost her hearing on a flight up to Scotland, saying: “Unfortunately it happened when I was going up to Glasgow for a charity. My ears impacted and they haven’t come back since.”

June, who has played Dot Branning – formerly Dot Cotton – on EastEnders since 1985, revealed in May that her eyesight had started to deteriorate.

EastEnders fans can see a lot more of Dot Branning after veteran star June Brown stripped off to support Children In Need.

The 87-year-old, who has played Dot in the BBC soap for decades, wore her curlers but not a lot else when she posed in the laundrette with co-star Davood Ghadami (Kush Kazemi).

EastEnders’ Dot Branning and Kush Kazemi pose in the BBC Children In Need calendar

The pair joined other members of the cast in a new EastEnders calendar being sold in aid of the charity.

EastEnders fans have seen Kush and Sonia (Natalie Cassidy) encourage the Albert Square locals to pose for a charity calendar and show bosses decided to bring the storyline to life.

We've launched the official @bbceastenders 2015 Calendar. Get yours now http://t.co/u65bZk9Du7 Proceeds go to #CiN pic.twitter.com/TjpbEuu5sg

— BBC Children in Need (@BBCCiN) November 13, 2014

Executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins said: “When we developed our calendar storyline featuring so many of Albert Square’s residents as viewers have never seen them before, it seemed such a shame not to share the fun with our audience.

“It’s been a long time since EastEnders released a calendar – and this is the perfect opportunity for EastEnders fans to get hold of something a little bit special while raising money for such a worthwhile cause.”

The calenders are on sale now for £10 with at least half of that going to BBC Children In Need.

Photos of the big storyline in EastEnders

It is all about to kick off for Charlie Cotton in EastEnders.

He’s been on the backfoot since Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson) uncovered his lie about his father, Nick Cotton (John Altman), being dead.

This week, he panics that Nasty Nick - as he is not-so-fondly known - has tracked him down.

In this interview with the Mirror, Declan Bennett, 33, who plays Charlie, talks about his character’s secret past, and how his story will develop before Nasty Nick returns this autumn…

Your secrets are emerging slowly.

“Really slowly. I’m like, come on! It is nice that it’s blossoming, finally.”

Charlie’s car is vandalised this week - does he suspect Nick?

“Yes and he’s scared. It is about to fall apart, and I don’t think he really has any idea of how! He doesn’t want to rock the boat but he can’t keep it all calm.”

Has he Dot’s best interests at heart?

“Yes. When he first arrived, he was the spawn of Cotton. He didn’t want Nick’s coffin open, and then everyone was rightly suspicious of him. But through his relationship with Dot [June Brown], he’s changed. He’s met this lovely woman who has given him a strong family connection. If she was a crabby old cow it’d have been easy to have upped and gone…

Does Charlie have the potential to be violent?

“Totally. There’s a part of Nick Cotton inside of him and I hope it comes out. That will be ace.”

Ronnie’s pregnant - is Charlie the father?

“Even that story has been left hanging! Charlie had this thing with Ronnie [Samantha Womack] and thought that it was all going well, and then she leaves the Square. So as far as he’s aware, she’s gone…”

Do you like your character?

“I really like him. He’s maybe a bit quiet sometimes.”

Do you fancy sticking around?

“Yeah. I’m having a whale of a time. Charlie is an exciting character to get my teeth into.”

How many more secrets will be revealed?

“Quite a few. Two to three hundred – no! Let’s say it’s a handful. Charlie is causing more secrets and more problems than he ever envisioned.”

EastEnders continues on BBC1, Monday, August 18, 8.00pm.