June Brown

June Brown was born June Muriel Brown on 16 February 1927 in Needham Market, Suffolk, England, the fourth of five children to Louisa Ann (née Butler) and Henry William Melton Brown. Her ancestry spanned English, Irish, Scottish and Sephardic Jewish roots, the latter tracing back to a renowned bare‑knuckle boxer, Isaac Bitton. During World War II she was evacuated to Pontyates in Carmarthenshire and later served in the Women’s Royal Naval Service before training at the Old Vic Theatre School, laying the groundwork for a career that would span nearly seven decades. Brown’s early television work included roles in Coronation Street, Doctor Who, and The Duchess of Duke Street, while her film appearances ranged from the horror classic Psychomania to the comedy Bean. She became a cultural institution through her portrayal of the church‑going, gossip‑prone Dot Cotton on EastEnders, a role she inhabited from 1985‑1993 and again from 1997‑2020, delivering a groundbreaking single‑handed episode in 2008 that earned her a BAFTA nomination. Her contributions were recognised with an MBE in 2008 and an OBE in 2022, as well as numerous soap awards, including a Lifetime Achievement honour in 2005. Beyond screen work, Brown authored an autobiography, Before the Year Dot, directed stage productions, and remained active in theatre well into her eighties. A devoted Conservative voter and practising Christian, she married twice—first to actor John Garley (who died in 1957) and then to actor Robert Arnold, with whom she had six children. Brown passed away on 3 April 2022 at the age of 95, leaving an indelible legacy in British drama and a beloved place in the hearts of audiences worldwide.