The BBC have announced plans to honour ‘EastEnders’ actress June Brown in celebration of her 90th birthday.
The broadcaster will air a special tribute show to the star, who is better known as Walford’s Dot Branning, as she turns 90 next month.
‘June Brown At 90: A Walford Legend’ will focus on her life and career, including her 30 years on ‘EastEnders’.
She will reveal how she first landed the role as Walford’s chain-smoking busy-body, and developed her into the soap icon she is today, as well as spilling the beans on life behind the scenes, including a fall-out with a fellow cast member.
There will also be contributions from many of June’s co-stars, past and present, including Danny Dyer (Mick Carter), Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale), Gillian Taylforth (Kathy Beale), Rudolph Walker (Patrick Trueman), Lacey Turner (Stacey Slater) and Natalie Cassidy (Sonia Fowler).
June first appeared on screen as Dot on July 1985, a few months after the soap’s launch.
She later quit in 1993, only to return four years later, and has remained on the show ever since.
It was recently reported bosses are hoping to sign June up for another year on the soap, after her current contract expires in March.
However, she hinted her may not be on screen for much longer in an interview with The Sun last year, saying: “I don’t know how long I’ll stay. I don’t think I want to end my life on a soap, but we’ll see.
June has been blighted by health problems in recent times, as in 2015, she revealed she is losing her sight, making learning lines for ‘EastEnders’ difficult.
She told Radio 4: “I see things in my eyes now. My eyes are not very good. In the left occasionally I do get this small circle with what looks like cross-wires.
“I do pray about my sight – maybe it will return.”
Months later, she revealed that she had lost some of her hearing after taking a flight to Glasgow for a charity event, and it hadn’t returned.
‘June Brown At 90: A Walford Legend’ airs on 16 February at 8pm on BBC One.
