EastEnders spoiler: Dot Branning to die after shock fall?
DOT BRANNING has been a stalwart for EastEnders since the beginning, but could a nasty fall spell the end of the road for the classic character?
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In an upsetting scene (airing on Monday) Dot was rushed to hospital after her cat tripped her up and she fell to the ground unconscious.
The distressing moment ended with the Albert Square favourite (played by June Brown) lying helplessly on her kitchen floor cuddling her pet.
The 90-year-old remained still with her eyes wide open, surrounded by cake crumbs and wearing one of her trademark floral outfits.
The actress first entered the soap in 1985 as the tough mother to troubled criminal Nick Cotton (John Altman), but she has become one of the most beloved originals on the series.
Could this be the end for Dot after she suffers a bad fall?
Dot is tripped up by her cat and lies unconscious on the kitchen floor
Dot is carried out in a stretcher after being found by Sonia
I don't know how long I'll stay. I don't think I want to end my life on a soap, but we'll see
Luckily, pictures show Dot's step granddaughter Sonia Jackson (Natalie Cassidy), who is a nurse, arriving at the scene and calling an ambulance. The frail character is then carried out of her house on a stretcher, as she drifts in and out of consciousness.
The scenes are due to air next week, but viewers were teased about the development last month when Dot was seen lying unconscious at the end of a new trailer, leading many to fret about the fate of one of Walford's beloved veterans.
The rumours came just as it was claimed that June hadn't signed a contract to stay put until 2018, while not for producers' lack of trying.
The soap legend was reportedly said to have been offered a £300,000 deal by BBC bosses to remain for another year in March.
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Brown admitted that she wasn't so sure about the proposal, instead alluding to bowing out gracefully so she can see the rest of her days in peace.
"I don't know how long I'll stay. I don't think I want to end my life on a soap, but we'll see," she told The Sun.
However, producers continued to try their hardest with the actress. A source told the Sunday Mirror at the time: "Bosses at the BBC like to open talks early so things don't go down to the wire."
"They realise June isn't getting any younger but she has intimated that she wants to carry on in the role as long as she feels able, so that is great news," they added.
EastEnders next airs Tuesday at 7.30pm on BBC One.