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Not to be confused with Dot Branning.

Kirsty Dorothy "Dotty" Cotton is the daughter of Sandy Gibson and Nick Cotton. As well as the granddaughter of Charlie Cotton and Dot Branning. She was portrayed by Molly Conlin from 2008 to 2010 and Milly Zero from 2019 to 2022.

Storylines[]

Backstory[]

Kirsty Dorothy Cotton was born on 1st February 2001, to Nick Cotton and Sandy Gibson as an result of a one night stand that Nick and Sandy had, whilst staying in a squat after he was released from Blackmoor Prison back in early 2000. It wasn't until sometime later after Nick left Walford back in June 2001, due to the fall out of his son Ashley Cotton's death, Nick went back to prison again where he received a letter from Sandy, revealing to Nick, that she had given birth to their daughter Dotty.

During the prior to 2006, whilst Nick was still living with Sandy and Dotty, he somehow at some point discovered that his late father Charlie Cotton had a secret son named Tom Cotton but very little is known on this story, is to how Nick, Sandy and Dotty all met Tom.

Nick was released from prison early in April 2008, he took custody of Dotty, having told her that Sandy had died in a car crash. On the 16 February 2010, Dotty's mum arrives, showing she is not dead. I'm

2008-2010: Arrival, attempting to poison Dot, and being disowned by Nick[]

Dotty arrives in Walford on Boxing Day 2008 with her father Nick, to see his estranged mother Dot Branning. Nick introduces Dot to Dotty, and they quickly bond. He 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 allows them to remain for the rest of the week. Dot soon discovers that Nick hasn't changed; he doesn't have a job, and he and Dotty have been living rough. Nick says he will either put Dotty into care or sell her to Dot for the money that Bradley Branning had given her. After serious consideration, she buys Dotty to get her away from Nick.

Dotty learns that Dot has made a will, leaving all of her money to Dotty when she dies. She tells Nick, and they form a plan to kill Dot to inherit the money. They trick her into thinking she has dementia. Eventually, Nick tells Dotty to give Dot an overdose of her medication by crushing up the tablets and putting them in her tea. However, Dotty has had 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 manages to escape along with most of the others, but the café explodes, and in the commotion, Nick escapes. Later, Dot suspects her granddaughter may be just as evil as her father, So she plants some tablets on the kitchen table whilst Dotty has her back turned. Dot leaves the room and then spies Dotty ignoring the tablets and pinching a chocolate biscuit instead. While practicing for the nativity, Dotty causes trouble by being naughty but vows to be good when 'Father Christmas' takes a visit to the community centre.

Dotty holds a birthday party for Dot, inviting Tiffany Dean and Liam Butcher, but they do not want to go. Dot tells Dotty that a lot of people cancelled. When Dotty looks out of the window, she waves at Tiffany, who pokes out her tongue. 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, Carol 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 and runs away with them, throwing the MP3 player into a bin in the Square. Tiffany tries to get it, and then Dotty pushes her in. When Max Branning sees her, saying she should be in school, she runs away. When Bianca realises Tiffany's dress is missing, Jack says he saw Dotty with something by the bins. Tiffany will not say how she got in the bins, so Carol goes to see Dot, who says it is not like Dotty, who is a kind and gentle girl. 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 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 her. Dot then very hardly smacks Dotty's bottom, making her squeal just as Jim's granddaughter Sonia Fowler, who is visiting, walks in. Dot apologises, but Dotty manipulates her into letting her stay off school. After Dotty calls the police, Dot is arrested for assault, and Sonia tells Dotty off for making it seem like she was an abused child. However, Dot is released without charge but is said to expect a visit from Child Care. When Dot senior returns home, Dotty apologises.

Dot receives a visit from Dotty's mother Sandy, who Dot assumes is from Social Services, but she is looking for her daughter Kirsty. Dot says she knows nobody of that name but realises it is Dotty when she sees a photo. Dot hides Sandy's visit from Dotty but later talks to Sandy about Dotty and her past. When she goes home, she asks Dotty about friends and family she used to have, but Dotty says Dot is the only family she needs. However, Dotty 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 her mother Sandy arrives, Dotty is delighted, and Dot tells Dotty she should go with her mother. They say an emotional goodbye, and Dot says she can visit at any time.

2019-2022: Return, blackmailing Ian, affair with Keegan, conning Sonia and subsequent exit[]

In October 2019, Dot returned to Walford after a few months of staying in Ireland, and brought Dotty back with her, as she was bored with her life in Wales. She returns and reveals she wants to study in London and attends the leaving party of Bex Fowler and begins to flirt with Tiffany's new boyfriend, Keegan Baker. Dotty later gives Bex the address of a drug dealer, who supplies some poisonous drugs to her.

In January 2020, Dotty and Leo King begin having a brief fling, but it doesn't last, with Leo calling Dotty "Whit", and she ends it with him for good.

Just after Dot Branning leaves Walford for good, and moves away to Ireland, to live with her grandson Charlie Cotton Jr, and great grandson Matthew Mitchell-Cotton, Dotty discovers the real truth to how her late father Nick Cotton really died, back in February 2015, and believed at first, that he died due natural causes, but it came out from Bex's drunken out burst, in the Queen Vic, when she revealed to Dotty, that her grandma Dot was responsible for father Nick's death, with Dotty asking questions and wanting more answers, and treating to go to Ireland to confront her grandma Dot, but Sonia Fowler begs Dotty to stay, and tell her the the full story to how Nick died, and revealed, that Dot didn't kill him, he asked for her help, to supply him with heroin from his drug dealer, but Dot refused to let Nick go though with it, but soured it for him anyway, which Nick died from the heroin overdose, with Dot being there with him, and letting him die in her arms, with Sonia saying that her step grandma Dot, did it out of love.

In February 2020, While at the Queen Vic composition boat trip party, there is a massive accident, the boat ends up crashing. Bex becomes very unconscious, then later taken into hospital. At the same time, Dotty ends up looking on as her friend and colleague Dennis Rickman tragically dies, during the boat accident, she ends up discovering a voice message which revealed Ian Beale locked him up in a room, on the boat, in the lead up to the crash, Dotty begins to blackmail Ian, begging him for The Arches. Otherwise, she will end up exposing him, for what he did to Dennis however Dotty feels guilty blackmailing Ian due to her friendship with Dennis so tells Sharon the truth but Sharon does not believe her.

In June 2021 Dotty and her best friend Vinny Panesar have sex while he is grieving for his dead brother, Dotty regrets it the next morning.

A few weeks later Dotty's heroine addicted mother Sandy shows up high on drugs and embarrasses Dotty on her first night as manager of Ruby's nightclub, She later has sex with Keegan Butcher-Baker who is married to one of Dotty's best friends and cousins Tiffany, This result in Keegan and Tiffany's marriage ending, Tiffany also cuts all ties with Dotty and even attacks Dotty during a sparring session at the gym.

Episode 6354 (5 October 2021)

In September it is revealed that Dotty is working with her uncle Tom Cotton who was pretending to be Sonia Fowler father Terry Cant, They are working together to con Sonia out of Dot's saving as Dotty believes it belongs to her.

Dotty Cotton 2022
Panesar Empty Living (1 August 2022)

On Christmas Day 2021, Sandy tells Dotty that her uncle Tom Cotton is actually her father. However, before Dotty could ask anymore questions, Sandy walks away, thus leaving Dotty to wonder who her father is. Eventually, after a conversation with Tom in September 2022, it is established that Nick is Dotty’s father, as Tom tells Dotty that he and Sandy never slept together. Dotty also sleeps with Finlay Baker in September 2022, and gets kicked out of the house when Vinny finds out. Dotty later leaves in December after she doesn’t inherit Dot’s house after her passing.

Kill count[]

Attempted murder victims[]

  1. Dot Cotton (2 June 2009) (on the orders of Nick Cotton) - Nick and Dotty plan to Kill Dot by poisoning her In order to gain her inheritance, Nick gives Dotty the crushed pills but Dotty decides not to go through with it after bonding with her grandmother.
  2. Nick Cotton (2 June 2009) - Spikes Nick's drink with the crushed pills intended for Dot sending Nick on a rampage and burning a Cafe, When Nick recovers he disowns Dotty.

Quotes[]

Last line: “To hell with Walford!”

See also[]

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