Lorraine Stanley still senses the late June Brown on the set of EastEnders.
The actress, 46, plays Karen Taylor on the BBC One soap, with her character now the boss at the laundrette. Before her, Dot Cotton - played by the late June - was in charge of the infamous business for over five decades before she exited the Square.
Karen has taken over the laundrette and whilst Lorraine says she'll "never fill Dot Cotton's shoes", she admits she feels the "presence" of the character when she's working on that particular set. Lorraine just hopes she can do June's character's legacy "justice".
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror at the Inside Soap Awards in London, she said: "I'd never fill June Brown or Dot's shoes but it's just an honour to work in there. I do feel the presence of Dot when I'm working in the launderette.
"Whether it is a sense of how she'd say things, there's something in the air where I feel comfortable and I hope I'm doing her justice."
It comes after Lorraine paid tribute to June, sharing the importance of being "passed the baton".
She told Inside Soap magazine earlier this year: "We lost an icon in June Brown. Whenever I’m asked who my favourite character is, I always say Dot Cotton – so to have been passed the baton, looking after the launderette is a privilege and an honour."
Dot - and actress June - is set to be honoured with a special on-screen funeral, as many legends return to pay tribute to Dot. Colin Russell (Lord Michael Cashman CBE), Barry Clark (Gary Hailes) George 'Lofty' Holloway (Tom Watt), Mary 'the punk' Smith (Linda Davidson) and Disa O'Brien (Jan Graveson) will all return alongside Dot's step-granddaughter Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa).
Speaking about her return, Jacqueline shared: "Coming back to EastEnders for Dot's funeral was a no-brainer, and it was a real honour to be invited back. I had a lot of fun but, of course, it was bittersweet. It was amazing to be back, but hard to be filming this storyline. I can tell the viewers now that Dot gets the beautiful send-off that she deserves. June was the light and joy of EastEnders. I had so much fun working with her, the incredible stories and how infectious & witty she was. June is a legend and I miss her very much."
Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw explained how important it was to bring back significant people from Dot's life to say farewell.
"It’s an honour to invite so many of Walford’s beloved characters back to pay tribute to Dot. Over the years, Dot profoundly impacted the lives of many young people struggling with life’s biggest challenges," he said.
"Her warmth, heart and compassion changed lives – so we wanted to reunite some of the people she helped the most. I’m thrilled these talented and generous actors wanted to share this special experience with us so we can give Dot a fitting send-off."
*EastEnders airs Mondays through Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One.
