Brown was born in Suffolk’s Needham Market in 1927 and was one of five children. She served in the Royal Navy during World War II, before being trained as an actress at the Old Vic Theater School in London. Early television roles included appearances on Coronation Street, Doctor Who and Play For Today, before joining the long-running soap opera set by Leslie Grantham, played by Den Watts. A boulder of British folklore… Coffee as Dot Cotton. Photo: BBC One / Adam Pensotti / BBC Originally appearing as a Albert Square gossip character, the character – later known as Dot Branning – evolved over time to become a favorite piece of furniture in the series. As Cotton, Brown has also become a milestone in British folklore, with her distinctive “Italian boy” hairstyle, strong Christian beliefs and smoking tendencies. In addition to being instantly recognizable, Brown’s depiction was widely acclaimed. In 2008, she became the first member of the soap opera to have an episode entirely dedicated to them, with the character dictating her life to her screen husband Jim, played by John Barden, who had a stroke on the show. . In 2018, Brown told the Radio Times that she believed she was going to die “soon enough” and therefore saw no reason to quit drinking and smoking. He also commented on the avoidance of modern technology in favor of watching David Attenborough’s documentary, news and ITV Loose Women’s daily show. In 2015, Brown revealed that she had been diagnosed with macular degeneration, with the soap later telling a story in which Cotton also suffered from deteriorating eyesight.
