EastEnders colleagues celebrate June Brown as she reaches her 90th birthday

There’s no denying it: the phrase ‘soap legend’ is overused.

But amongst the handful of iconic characters who truly deserve the accolade, June Brown is without a doubt one of the all-time greats.

Having played chain-smoking, launderette worker Dot Branning (aka Cotton) in EastEnders on and off since 1985, she’s become one of Britain’s best-loved actresses.

This week, to celebrate June’s 90th birthday, the spotlight falls on her rather than her alter ego, with EastEnders castmates past and present – including Danny Dyer, Adam Woodyatt, Gillian Taylforth and Lacey Tuner – paying tribute in a special documentary.

“It’s only right that June should be honoured,” says Rudolph Walker, 77, who plays Dot’s confidant Patrick Trueman in the soap.

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

Together, June and Rudolph have seen a lot of drama in Walford, but it’s a light-hearted scene that sticks out in the actor’s memory.

“I’m going back to the period when the late John Bardon [who played Dot’s husband Jim Branning] was appearing in the show.

"It was me, John, June and Angela Wynter [Patrick’s then-wife Yolande] who got up to quite a lot of dilly-dallying, and the characters were all partying and Patrick ended up in bed with Dot!” laughs Rudolph. “He had to climb out of the window. It was fantastic.”

Rudolph hasn’t forgotten first meeting June when he joined EastEnders 15 years ago.

“My first impression was: ‘This lady is very sharp.’ She’s so on point, she’s got a spark,” he smiles.

“You can give her a scene, she’ll read it a couple of times and she’s memorised it. We warmed to each other immediately. I consider June a friend. She gives advice to the younger cast members too. Her door is always open.”

This sentiment is echoed by Letitia Dean, who’s played Sharon Mitchell for 20 years.

“If I was the Mayor of Walford she’d be made a Dame,” Letitia says.

“I’ve been calling her a Dame for many years. They say ‘you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear’ – June can. She can turn anything small into something creative and wonderful. Young and old, everyone calls her a legend. There is no one like her and I love her beyond measure.”

Excitingly for fans, June Brown At 90 – A Walford Legend – shown on her birthday – will feature a rare interview with the lady herself.

“As you get older, you do look back on what you’ve done and how you’ve behaved.

"You do take an inventory of yourself in a funny way,” reveals June, as she recalls her pre-soap theatre career and the reason she thinks she was cast as Dot (she turned up on time and was partial to smoking a cigarette or two!).

But despite her extraordinarily long career, she is pragmatic about her legacy.

“Acting is a very ephemeral business,” she says. “It’s only in the memory of the people who have seen it and it’s only there for as long as they remember.”

And the actress isn’t as discreet as you might imagine, spilling the beans on how, during her early days on EastEnders, she was seen as a rival by one particular cast member – but it’s not who you might think it is…

“June has a terrific sense of humour,” smiles Rudolph. “She’s talented and professional… She’s a one-off.”

June Brown At 90: A Walford Legend Thursday 8.30pm BBC1

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