was reported that Jim could still appear in the care home if Bardon's health permitted it, although ultimately this did not happen, as Bardon never recovered enough to make any further appearances. Jim left the show on 26 May 2011. Brown opined that Dot would feel lonely without Jim, saying, "I think she'll be very lonely and feel she doesn't have much purpose in life. It was really important to tell this story because there are so many people in a similar situation to Dot. It was moving to act out, too — not just because of Dot and Jim's relationship, but because I'm really good friends with John Bardon in real life." Jim died off-screen four years later, shortly after the death of actor John Bardon. Rose In May 2011, it was reported that Dot's estranged half-sister Rose would join the series, played by Polly Perkins. Reports stated that The sisters fell out when Rose had an affair with Dot's husband Charlie, but after suffering a bout of hypochondria, Dot would decide to track Rose down, feeling it is time to put things right, but Rose will not be pleased to see Dot again after so many years. Friendships An enduring friendship featured in EastEnders was the one shared between the characters Dot Cotton and Ethel Skinner (played by Gretchen Franklin), first shown on-screen in 1985 and ending with Ethel's death in 2000, though the characters shared a backstory set prior to 1985 and were scripted as neighbours who grew old together in East London, along with Lou Beale (Anna Wing). BBC News has described Dot and Ethel as an "incomparable double-act [...] Occasionally spiky and often hilarious". Dot and Ethel shared few similarities in personality. During an episode that aired in 2008, just under 8 years after Ethel died in the serial, Dot discussed the differences between them: "Ethel was a free spirit, not like me. All bottled up. I remember sitting on the step of the Vic, waiting for me mother. I caught a glimpse of her through the door. Sitting on top of the piano, her legs spread, showing next week's washing and bawling out "Roll Out the Barrel". Just like a navvy. She didn't seem to have a care in the world. I had enough for both of us. I loved Ethel." Critic for The Guardian, Nancy Banks-Smith, discussed the characters' relationship in 2008, comparing