EastEnders fans furious by last minute schedule change delaying Dot Cotton’s funeral
EASTENDERS fans were left furious this evening as the hotly anticipated episode was delayed in a last minute schedule change.
Dot’s funeral was due to air at 7.35pm but was pushed back to 7.40pm without any warning.
Taking to Twitter to complain, one person wrote: “Right #theoneshow, can you hurry up and finish so #eastenders can start?? Listening to some man speaking about scrabble.”
A second added: “Can this end now #EastEnders is supposed to be on #theoneshow.”
While a third tweeted: “Me #EastEnders is startin’ late tonight! I’ve got Dot sittin’ up ‘ere next to me, she wants to see what sort of turn out she gets at ‘er funeral.”
In some of the most moving EastEnders scenes eve, the soap pays tribute to the iconic character of Dot Branning – and the late actress who played her, June Brown – as Walford turns out for a huge East End send-of.
As Dot’s funeral approaches, Sonia is struggling with both her grief and the weight of the responsibility of delivering a eulogy.
She’s buoyed when Lauren Branning turns up from New Zealand, but it’s Martin who offers her the greatest support when he finds Sonia in the launderette trying to find the inspiration to do Dot justice.
As Dot takes her final journey and leaves Albert Square, all the residents follow behind, and some familiar faces also turn up for the church service, including Colin, Lofty, Mary and Disa, whose lives were all touched by Dot’s generosity and kindness.
It’s an emotional service befitting of the solemn but celebratory occasion, and later the mourners head back to The Vic to raise a toast to Dot.
Making her first appearance in Albert Square in 1985, Dot Cotton became one of its longest-standing resident over the decades, until her departure from Walford in 2020.
While her character has packed her things to go to Ireland with her grandson Charlie, actress June Brown has sadly passed away at the age of 95.
Soap bosses made the decision to kill her character off-screen and give her an emotional send-off with some major twists and returns.
The news was a devastating blow to EastEnders fans, who were perhaps hoping June would change her mind about not returning to the long-running drama.