91-year-old EastEnders legend June Brown signs new deal keeping her at the soap

EastEnders legend June Brown has signed a new deal with the BBC soap to keep her loitering around Albert Square for another year.

The 91-year-old soap icon has, according to the Sun, just signed a new contract that’ll see her character stay a part of the cockney soap opera until 2019.

The actress, who has played the famous character Dot Cotton (or Branning) first featured in the soap back in 1985 and took a period of six months away from it back in 2012 in order to write her autobiography. Apart from that short hiatus she’s been a consistent, familiar face in the soap for over 30 years.

An insider spilled the news that Dot was indeed sticking around, saying: ‘BBC bosses know that June has a huge fanbase and she’s a big draw for older viewers.

‘She’s a real character and the rest of the cast and crew love her too.’

‘They want her to be on the show as long as she feels comfortable acting so are delighted that she’s agreed to renew her contract.

‘June finds working regularly keeps her feeling young at heart and enjoys the job immensely.’

The new deal will keep June in the Watford soap until 2019, by which time she will be 92.

June revealed her excitement about extending her time on the programme saying: ‘I’m delighted that EastEnders have allowed me to keep playing Dot whilst also accommodating me to take on other work opportunities.’

Catch EastEnders weeknights, from 7.30pm, on BBC One.

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