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Kirsty "Dotty" Cotton is a fictional character from the

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soap opera ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'', played by

Molly Conlin Molly Conlin (born 23 February 2001) is a former English actress, known for her role as Dotty Cotton on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Personal life Conlin was born in Canning Town, London where she lives with her mother and her brother, ...

from 2008 to 2010 and

Milly Zero Melissa Jasmine Skye "Milly" Zero (born 7 June 1999) is an English actress. She has portrayed Hannah on the CBBC children's sitcom '' All at Sea'' (2013–2015) and Dotty Cotton in the BBC soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a ...

from 2019 to 2022. She was introduced on 26 December 2008 as the daughter of established character

Nick Cotton Nick Cotton is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''EastEnders'' played by John Altman on a semi-regular basis from the soap's debut episode on 19 February 1985. Altman has stated that his initial exit was due to producer Julia ...

( John Altman). Nick uses Dotty as his partner-in-crime; they plan to kill his mother

Dot Branning Dorothy "Dot" Branning (also Cotton) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by June Brown. In a special episode entitled ''EastEnders: Dot's Story'' (2003) a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in fl ...

(

June Brown June Muriel Brown (16 February 1927 – 3 April 2022) was an English actress and author. She was best known for her role as Dot Cotton on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1985–1993; 1997–2020). In 2005, she won Best Actress at the ''In ...

) and inherit the money from her will. She and Dot subsequently become close after Dotty sabotages Nick's murder attempt at the last minute. In her final storyline which aired on 23 February 2010, she left with her mother Sandy (Caroline Pegg), who she believed died. On 3 October 2019, Dotty returned, with the role recast to Milly Zero. In December 2021, Sandy tells her that she is not Nick's daughter and that her father is Tom "Rocky" Cotton (

Brian Conley Brian Paul Conley (born 7 August 1961) is an English actor, comedian, singer and television presenter. Conley has been the host of ''The Brian Conley Show'', as well as presenting the Royal Variety Performance on eight occasions. In his 40-ye ...

). However, in September 2022, this is revealed to be a lie. On 13 November 2022, it was announced that Zero had quit the show and Dotty left on 16 December 2022. Initially, critics disliked Dotty Cotton. Jane Simon from ''

The Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...

'' criticised her accent. Critics from ''The Daily Mirror'' and ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' were glad to see her leave. However, executive producer

Diederick Santer Diederick Santer (born 3 July 1969) is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera ''EastEnders'', a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010. He was Chief Exec ...

praised Conlin for her portrayal of Dotty, whilst both Brown and Altman opined that the storyline was one of their highlights.

Storylines

2008–2010

Dotty arrives in

Walford Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work i ...

on Christmas Day with Nick to see her estranged grandmother

(

). Nick introduces Dot to Dotty and they quickly bond. Nick lies to Dot that he had promised to send money to Sandy on the condition that she named their daughter Dorothy after her grandmother, so that Dot will trust him and bond with his daughter; Dot does not know Dotty's real name. After spending the night, Dotty begs Dot to let them stay longer. Dot soon discovers that Nick is unemployed and he and Dotty have been living rough. Nick says he will either put Dotty into care or sell her to Dot. After serious consideration, she buys Dotty to get her away from Nick. Dotty learns that Dot has left all her money to Dotty in her

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

, and tells Nick. They plan to kill Dot to inherit the money, and trick her into thinking she is suffering from

dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...

. Eventually, Nick tells Dotty to give Dot an overdose of her medication, but, Dotty has a change of heart and gives the pills to Nick in his beer. When Nick learns of Dotty's double-crossing, he drags her to the café and holds everyone inside hostage. Dotty escapes with most of the others, but the café explodes, and in the commotion, Nick escapes. Suspecting that Dotty might be just as evil as Nick, Dot plants some tablets on the kitchen table while Dotty's back is turned. Dot leaves the room and spies on Dotty, who ignores the tablets. Dot holds a birthday party for Dotty, inviting Tiffany (

Maisie Smith Maisie Louise Collender Smith (born 9 July 2001) is an English actress and singer. She appeared in the feature film ''The Other Boleyn Girl'' (2008) and played the regular role of Tiffany Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2008 ...

) and

Liam Butcher Liam Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Sonny Bottomley for two months in 1998 and 1999, twins Jack and Tom Godolphin from 1999, Gavin and Mitchell Vaughan in 2002, and Nathaniel Gleed from 2002 to ...

(James Forde), but they do not want to attend. The next day, Tiffany tells Dotty she is not invited to her birthday party. Dotty tells Dot that Tiffany is not having a party and asks if they can invite her round. When they ask Tiffany's mother

Bianca Jackson Bianca Jackson (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opted t ...

(

Patsy Palmer Julie Anne Merkell (''née'' Harris; born 26 May 1972), known professionally as Patsy Palmer, is an English actress and DJ, known for her roles as Natasha in the children's drama series ''Grange Hill'' (1985–1987), and Bianca Jackson in the ...

), Bianca invites them to Tiffany's party. The next day, Tiffany and Dotty lie so they do not have to go to school. Dotty takes Tiffany's bridesmaid's dress and MP3 player, after Tiffany does not allow her to try the dress on, and runs away with them, throwing the MP3 player into a bin. Dotty pushes Tiffany into the bin as she tries to retrieve it. Dotty then runs away to avoid getting in trouble, and when Tiffany is found, Bianca visits Dot, who is unsure about Bianca's claims. Dotty tells Dot she knows nothing about the dress but Dot then finds it in Dotty's school bag. Dot returns the dress to Bianca without Dotty's knowledge. The next day, Dotty is left alone with Dot's husband

Jim Branning Jim Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by John Bardon, first appearing on 29 April 1996 and became a regular character in 1999. He remained in the series until 2011. Jim was temporarily written out ...

(

John Bardon John Bardon (born John Michael Jones, 25 August 1939 – 12 September 2014) was an English stage and screen actor. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 1988 (1987 season) for '' Kiss Me, Kate'', sharing the aw ...

) who is recovering from a stroke. She pours water on him to make it seem he has wet himself, but Dot catches her. Dotty says she hates them both and wishes that Nick had killed Dot. Dot smacks Dotty across the legs and Dotty manipulates her into letting her stay off school. After Dotty calls the police, Dot is arrested for assault but is released without charge and Dotty apologises. Dot receives a visit from Dotty's mother Sandy. Dot assumes she is from Social Services, but Sandy says she is looking for her daughter Kirsty. Dot says she knows nobody of that name, but when she sees a photo she realises that it is Dotty. Dot hides Sandy's visit from Dotty, but later talks to Sandy about her daughter and her past. She also asks Dotty about the friends and family she used to have, but Dotty says Dot is the only family she needs. However, she soon admits that she misses her mother, and Dot reveals that she is alive and Nick had lied to her. Dotty says she wants to see her mother, so Dot calls her. When Sandy arrives, Dotty is delighted and Dot tells Dotty she should go with Sandy. They say an emotional goodbye, and Dot says she can visit at any time. In May 2012, Dot and her sister Rose Cotton (

Polly Perkins Polly Perkins (born Gillian Nessie Arnold, 31 May 1943) is a British actress, singer and writer. Perkins rose to fame in the 1960s as a popstar, going on to regularly appear in theatre and cabaret throughout the UK. She is known for playing Ros ...

) go to live with Dotty and Sandy. In January 2013, it is revealed that Dotty and Sandy are in Florida. In March 2014, Dot reveals Dotty and Sandy cannot attend Nick's funeral, because Dotty has a cold. Dot visits Dotty and Sandy at their new home near

the Mumbles Mumbles ( cy, Mwmbwls) is a headland sited on the western edge of Swansea Bay on the southern coast of Wales. Toponym Mumbles has been noted for its unusual place name. The headland is thought by some to have been named by French sailors, ...

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

in October 2017.

2019–2022

In October 2019, Dot returns to Walford after visiting family, and brings Dotty back with her, as Dotty was bored with her life in Wales. She explains that she wants to study in London, and attends the leaving party of

Bex Fowler The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2000, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by Matthew Robinson (producer), Matthew Robinson, or his successor, John Yorke ...

(

Jasmine Armfield Jasmine Armfield (born 17 December 1998) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Bex Fowler in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2014 to 2020. Early life Armfield was born in Southend, Essex. She attended The King John ...

), and flirts with Tiffany's husband

Keegan Baker The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Sean O'Connor or, from 27 November, his succ ...

( Zack Morris). Dotty gives Bex the details of a drug dealer, who supplies Bex with poisoned drugs. While on a boat party, the boat crashes and Bex falls unconscious, being taken into hospital while Dotty looks on.

Dennis Rickman Dennis Rickman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Nigel Harman. He made his first appearance on 14 April 2003 at the funeral of his late mother, Paula, before going on to become one of the show's centra ...

(

Bleu Landau Bleu Louie Landau (born 5 April 2005) is an English actor, known for his role as Dennis Rickman Jnr in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from September 2015 to February 2020. In 2017 he starred in Guy Richie's film ''King Arthur: Legend of the ...

), Dotty's friend and colleague, dies on the boat, and she later discovers a voicemail that reveals

Ian Beale Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the drama's longest-serving main character and, following the departure of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard) in 2006, became the only one ...

(

Adam Woodyatt Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', which he played between 1985 and 2022. Early life and education Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in W ...

) locked him in. Dotty then blackmails Ian, asking for The Arches, otherwise she will expose him. Ian destroys the voicemail and Dennis' mother

Sharon Watts Sharon Watts (also Rickman, Mitchell and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Letitia Dean. Sharon is one of ''EastEnders'' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Ju ...

(

Letitia Dean Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and again ...

) refuses to believe Dotty when she accuses Ian in public. She initially studies an engineering degree at university but Ian has her expelled as revenge for her blackmailing him. Dot moves to Ireland to live with Dotty's half-brother Charlie Cotton (

Declan Bennett Declan William Bennett (born 20 March 1981) is an English singer-songwriter, actor and playwright. He gained prominence as a member of the band Point Break, before going on to perform on London's West End and as a solo musician. He is known on ...

), leaving her step-granddaughter

Sonia Fowler Sonia Fowler (also Jackson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Natalie Cassidy. Her first appearance was on and she departed on She returned briefly in 2010 along with other members of the Jackson fam ...

(

Natalie Cassidy Natalie Ann Cassidy (born 13 May 1983) is an English actress. She has played Sonia Fowler in ''EastEnders'' since 1993, appeared in the BBC Two sitcom-horror '' Psychoville'' and was a contestant on the seventh series of ''Strictly Come Dan ...

) in charge of her home. Dotty is bitter when Dot gives Sonia inheritance money she believes is rightfully hers.

Ruby Allen A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sap ...

(

Louisa Lytton Louisa Claire Lytton (born 7 February 1989) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Ruby Allen in '' EastEnders'' and Beth Green in ''The Bill''. She also finished fourth in the fourth series of '' Strictly Come Dancing'' in 20 ...

) hires Dotty to work at her club when she drops out of university. Tiffany and Keegan move in with Dotty and Sonia and also start working with Dotty at Ruby's nightclub. Dotty develops an interest in

Peter Beale Peter Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' who has been played by seven actors since being introduced in 1993. Francis Brittin-Snell portrayed the role from 1993 to 1996, followed by Alex Stevens from 1997 to 19 ...

(Dayle Hudson) despite receiving attention from his brother Bobby Beale; however, their romance soon fizzles out. In 2021, Dotty has a one night stand with her friend Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota); although he has feelings for her, she does not reciprocate them which puts a strain on their friendship. Dotty’s devious behaviour continues: she is infuriated when Sonia received power of attorney over Dot’s money- wanting money to pay for her mother’s rehab, she ropes her uncle Tom "Rocky" Cotton (

) into pretending to be Sonia’s long lost father in order to con her. When the truth is revealed, Sandy reveals that Rocky is Dotty’s birth father although this is later proven to be false when Rocky confirms that he has never slept with Sandy. Dotty’s manipulative behaviour makes her very unpopular, often finding herself between homes and often relying on Rocky or Sonia for accommodation. She nearly destroys Tiffany and Keegan’s marriage when she sleeps with Keegan. She later starts a relationship with Vinny and despite having no feelings for him, she is worried about being made homeless. She ultimately betrays him with Finlay Baker (Ashley Byam). Vinny is heartbroken when he finds out, which leads to Dotty being thrown out and later being assaulted by Vinny’s sister Ash Panesar (Gurlaine Kaur Garcha). When Rocky’s close friend

Harvey Monroe The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2021, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's senior executive producer, Kate Oates, and executive produce ...

(

Ross Boatman Ross Maxim Boatman (born 3 March 1964) is an English actor, professional poker player and a member of the poker-playing group the Hendon Mob. He is known for the role of Firefighter Kevin Medhurst in the ITV drama series '' London's Burning'' ...

) accuses her of stealing his wallet, a crime of which Dotty is innocent of for a change, she seeks revenge by

catfishing Catfishing is a deceptive activity in which a person creates a fictional persona or fake identity on a social networking service, usually targeting a specific victim. The practice may be used for financial gain, to compromise a victim in so ...

Harvey and he sends her £10,000. Bobby and his friend

Freddie Slater The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2004, by order of first appearance. Dom Shaw Dom Shaw, played by Lloyd McGuire, is a board member on the Walford Community Centre committe ...

(

Bobby Brazier Bobby Jack Brazier (born 2 June 2003) is an English actor and model. In January 2020, he made his runway debut, modelling for Dolce & Gabbana at Milan Fashion Week and in September 2022, he joined the cast of the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders ...

) both discover the truth and urge her to come clean. The truth is eventually exposed and Rocky demands that Dotty repay the money. When Dot passes away, although Dotty is upset, her greedy nature is exposed once more as she is convinced she will inherit Dot’s estate. Although Dotty inherits £10,000, the majority of Dot’s estate goes to Sonia, including Dot’s house (25 Albert Square). A furious Dotty gets drunk and splashes alcohol everywhere in an attempt to burn the house down. Although she is unsuccessful in this, and Sonia pleads for her to stay, Dotty packs her bags and leaves in a taxi, parting on bad terms with her family and telling Walford to ‘go to hell’.

Creation and development

Casting, introduction and development

On 2 October 2008 it was reported that

, played by John Altman would return to ''EastEnders'' in Christmas 2008. After spending time in

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...

, Nick would return with an eight-year-old daughter, Dotty. The part of Dotty was cast to

, speaking of her casting, Conlin said, "I'm really excited about it because I have always wanted to be in ''EastEnders''." Conlin was considered too old for the part of

Tiffany Dean Tiffany Butcher-Baker (also Dean and Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Maisie Smith. Tiffany is the daughter of established characters Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) and Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) ...

which she had previously auditioned for but she succeeded in impressing the producers, who offered her the role of Dotty instead. The part of Tiffany went to

. Dotty was originally eleven years old, but on Conlin's casting, they changed her age to seven. Introduced as a guest character by Santer she made her first appearance on 26 December 2008. Starting to appear more frequently, Dotty became a recurring character. Santer told

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...

in May 2009 that Dotty's storyline would go "to a very, very dark place!" He questioned whether the character was born bad or if her father had made her that way, and if she could be more dangerous than Nick. As the storyline between Dot, Dotty and Nick progressed, Nick's true agenda was revealed when he blackmailed his mother into giving him money for custody of Dotty. In a further plot twist, it was revealed to the audience in 2009, that Dotty was colluding with her father all along. The plot climaxed in June 2009 and marked Altman's departure from the show for the fourth time. Dotty later left on 23 February 2010.

Characterisation

Dotty is introduced as a seven-year-old child who has pigtails. The ''EastEnders'' website described her as "butter wouldn't melt when it comes to this cockney sparrow, but underneath she's a devil in disguise", as well as conniving, backstabbing and cold-hearted. Altman described Dotty as "a chip off the old block", as did Nancy Banks-Smith from ''

'' though the '' Daily Record'' described Dotty as "a chip off her grandma's block".

Charlie Clements Charlie Clements (born 5 June 1987) is an English actor known for the role of Bradley Branning in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' from January 2006 to February 2010. He has won several soap and magazine awards for his performance. Biograph ...

, who played

Bradley Branning Bradley Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Charlie Clements. He made his first appearance on screen on 24 January 2006 and last appeared on 22 February 2010 after he was killed off in the show's ...

, said that Dotty, being Nick's daughter, was "bound to be a bit iffy." He also called her "evil", as did several critics. Simon called Dotty " heapple that hasn't fallen far from the tree." On ''

Holy Soap Holy Soap is a UK television and entertainment website founded in June 2009 by the British television company Channel 5. The website is the official UK home of the Australian soap operas '' Home and Away'' and '' Neighbours'', which are broadcast ...

'', Dotty is called a "demon child" and "sweetness and light" on the surface, "but underneath lurks a devil!". Nancy Banks-Smith from ''The Guardian'' described Dotty as "enigmatic", while Kris Green from Digital Spy compared Dotty's image to that of

Damien Thorn Damien Thorn is a fictional character and the primary antagonist of ''The Omen'' franchise. He is the Antichrist and the son of the Devil. The character has been portrayed by Harvey Spencer Stephens, Jonathan Scott-Taylor, Sam Neill, Seamus ...

from ''

The Omen ''The Omen'' is a 1976 supernatural horror film directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, it stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Spencer ...

'' and

Regan MacNeil Regan Teresa MacNeil (born April 7, 1959) is a fictional character from William Peter Blatty's horror novel and film adaptation ''The Exorcist'' as a supporting character and its first sequel, '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'', and the sequel televis ...

from ''

The Exorcist ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty W ...

''.

Reintroduction (2019)

On 25 July 2019, it was announced that Dotty would be reintroduced, with the role recast to Milly Zero.

Reception

Jane Simon from the ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...

'' criticised Dotty's accent and the storyline surrounding poisoning Dot. Stuart Heritage from ''The Guardian'' said that Dotty gave him "the willies". He said, "Technically Dotty has already left ''EastEnders'', but it was an open-ended goodbye and she's free to return whenever she likes. This must not happen, simply because she gives me the willies more than anything else I've ever seen", Simon similarly opined saying that she was glad to see Dotty leave. Brown opined that Dot and Nick's storyline with Dotty was one of her highlights of the series, as did Altman. Santer praised Conlin for her portrayal of Dotty saying, "I love that little girl because she's having to play all these layers. Normally, what kids have to do of that age is say lines and be cute. She, though, has to play layers of deception. She has to play a character who's acting."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cotton, Dotty Child characters in television EastEnders characters Female characters in television Fictional blackmailers Fictional bullies Fictional mechanics Female villains Fictional criminals in soap operas Teenage characters in television Television characters introduced in 2008 Fictional drug dealers Fictional bartenders Fictional con artists Fictional gangsters