EastEnders fans break down in tears as BBC air June Brown tribute and documentary after her death at 95

EASTENDERS viewers have been left in tears after the soap paid a "beautiful" tribute to June Brown following her death.

Monday night's episode of EastEnders was dedicated to the iconic star after she passed away aged 95.

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Once the credits had rolled, a black and white image of June - who played Dot Cotton in the soap - appeared on screen.

A message read: "In loving memory of June Brown OBE, MBE. 1927 - 2022."

Fans were left misty-eyed at the tribute, which silently lingered on screen for several seconds.

One tweeted a both a crying and broken heart emoji, writing: "Seeing June Brown at the end."

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Another penned: "Beautiful tribute to the legendary June Brown R.I.P sleep tight you beautiful angel."

A third also added crying emojis, saying: "The tribute to June Brown at the end of tonight’s episode was a lovely touch."

Beeb bosses also changed the TV schedule to honour June.

The Panorama special Obesity: Who Cares If I'm Bigger? was due to be shown after EastEnders but was pulled off air and replaced with June Brown at 90: A Walford Legend.

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The one-off documentary was originally televised five years ago to celebrate June's outstanding career as she marked her 90th birthday.

It featured June talking about her life in front of the camera and featured anecdotes from her EastEnders cast mates.

June, who appeared in 2,884 episodes of EastEnders as Dot, passed away peacefully on Sunday.

The  announced the news on Monday, with  hailing June as the actress behind one of the "most iconic characters".

An EastEnders spokesperson said: "There are not enough words to describe how much June was loved and adored 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."

June's family said she died "very peacefully at her home in , with her family by her side".

• Read our June Brown blog here for the latest news

A statement from June's family, read: "We are deeply saddened to announce our beloved mother, June, passed away very peacefully at her home in Surrey on Sunday evening, with her family by her side.

"We would kindly ask that our privacy is respected at this very difficult time."

June played chain-smoking Dot from 1985 until 2020, when her 35-year run on Albert Square ended.

The TV favourite was recently crowned the greatest soap character of all time, with Dot praised for her "indominable Great British spirit" which was "immediately identifiable" and a "testament to what a fantastic and talented actress June Brown is".

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The actress' role as larger-than-life Dot was known for her devout Christian faith and hypochondria, as well as her endless cigarette addiction.

In 2008, she made history by becoming the first soap character to appear alone for an entire episode.

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