EE: Sign on the Dotted line- June Brown agrees to a new deal

[carmelina]

April 10, 2007



EASTENDERS veteran June Brown WILL play Dot Cotton for another year — after agreeing a new £370,000 contract.

The deal is a huge relief for bosses, who faced losing her in a row over storylines months after big stars like Wendy Richard and Natalie Cassidy quit.

TV Biz revealed in February that June was threatening to leave over scenes which see Dot find a refugee baby abandoned in a church.

But the star has now been talked round and will sign on the Dot-ted line within days.

Last night a BBC insider said: “June is a fundamental part of the soap but she’s 80 and won’t want to work forever. It’s a huge bonus and a relief that she’s agreed to play Dot a little longer. Apart from a break in the 1990s, June has been with us since the show began back in 1985 — and life without her would be unimaginable.

“June may not always agree with her storylines, but she loves the character of Dot and wants to keep playing her. We are thrilled and will carry on finding the best plots and scripts to keep her happy.”

* TV Biz can also reveal that June’s next storylines will involve her attempting to give up the fags when England’s smoking ban comes into force on July 1.

The chain-smoking pensioner will try to stub it out after she is told she can no longer light up in the Queen Vic or the launderette where she works.

BBC chiefs are now fighting for the right to smoke on set so characters can still be seen with cigs in their own homes.

An insider said: “Dot won’t give up for good. That just wouldn’t be realistic.”

* SIMON Fuller is planning a US version of EastEnders, it was claimed yesterday.

The Pop Idol creator, 46, has reportedly signed up to produce the show for telly network Fox.

Albert Square will be moved to gritty, working-class Philadelphia for a 30-minute pilot called Born In The USA. American Idol finalist Lisa Tucker has landed a starring role.



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[faceless]

Born in the USA? OH christ - more jingoistic bullshit

[Twirley]

[Skylace]

[eefanincan]

[tasst]

Great, one of the best actors left in the show.

[Marcella-FL]

no idea she was that old ... I think the remake is a horrible idea

[pirtybirdy]

Remakes usually suck. I heard they got lucky with the office remake, but I never watched the American version. That's because I've always been disappointed with the remakes.

[faceless]

The Office (US) is just brilliant. I've watched every episode and can't fault it in the slightest.

[Twirley]

[faceless]

The thing that gets me about a remake is the Queen Vic. I just can't see a soap opera in America basing so much of the action in a pub. The power of alcohol has been so important in many fights/incidents that it would be hard to leave it out and keep any similarity.

[cori]

Didn't realize June was 80, considering her age she looks damn good! Cannot visualize this as a USA remake as Face stated so much of the goings on are focused on the Queen Vic and this does not exist in the USA as a meeting place, they'd probaly have to focus on a bowling alley, gym or bingo parlor???

[Skylace]

[faceless]

The point I was aiming at was that it's a show which is aimed at the 7:30/8:00 pm slot and I can't imagine for a minute that the american networks (influenced by those small-minded "right-thinkers" who have so much power) would allow anything like what goes on in Albert Square at that time-slot. "Cheers" was on after 9pm here, which I'm guessing it was there too.

[Skylace]