Charlie Cotton is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Christopher Hancock. Charlie is a recurring character, introduced in March 1986 as the estranged husband of Dot Cotton (June Brown). He appears in stints until producers made the decision to kill the character off-screen in 1991 in order to aid development of characters connected to him. June Brown, who plays Dot, was openly against the killing of Charlie. Charlie appears one last time in the October 2000 spin-off, Return of Nick Cotton, as an apparition, warning his son Nick (John Altman) to change his ways. Storylines Charlie deserted Dot Cotton (June Brown) in the late 1950s after two years of marriage when she was expecting their son, Nick (John Altman). He then had an affair with her sister, Rose Taylor (Polly Perkins) and fathered another son, Andrew (Ricky Grover) with her. He returns to the Square in 1986 after nearly 30 years away and cons Dot into believing he has come back for good and changed his ways and then disappears as soon as he has some of her money. In 1987, he meets Nick (now in his late twenties) for the first time when they both coincidentally visit Dot. Charlie and Nick hate each other and both try to get rid of each other so they can con Dot. Charlie discovers Nick has cheated some of his friends out of money and has been involved in some house burglaries and that is why he is hiding at Dot's house. He uses this to try to get rid of him by teaming with Graham Clark (Gary Webster), an old friend of Nick, and wants to get back at him for going to prison for Nick's crime. Graham forces Nick to leave Walford but before Nick leaves, he tells Dot that Charlie grassed him to the people who were looking for him. Dot gets angry and tells Charlie to leave too. Charlie resurfaces in 1989 after breaking his leg and imposes himself on Dot once again. During this time, he exposes Hazel's (Vriginial Fiol) deception about being married to Nick and having his child, which devastates Dot who is enjoying being a grandmother. Joan Leggett (Rhoda Lewis) comes looking for Charlie several weeks later and tells Dot about their bigamous marriage. Charlie's double life is exposed and it is revealed he had told Joan his name was