Ashley Cotton made his first appearance on 29 July 1993. He is portrayed by Rossi Higgins in 1993 and Frankie Fitzgerald from 2000–2001.
Backstory[]
Ashley Cotton was born in August 1983, He grew up never getting to meet or knew his mother's parents - due to a family fall out over the fact that she ended up in an relationship with Nick Cotton when she was still under age, which her parents were not happy about and they did not like Nick.
Zoe Newton became pregnant with her and Nick's son Ashley and gave birth to him when she was just 15 years old. Nick was not present during the birth and did not support Zoe as he was going to pubs around London 'celebrating'.
All of Ashley's life, Nick was never a good father to him and has always let Ashley down by never phoning or writing to him. Ashley only ever wanted Nick's approval as a father.
Storylines[]
1993-1997: Arrival, meeting Dot Cotton and moving to Gravesend[]
Ashley first appears in Walford along with his mother in 1993, at the age of nine. He meets and becomes close to his grandmother, Dot Cotton, who later leaves the Square with him, Zoe and Nick to live in Gravesend.
Dot leaves Gravesend and returns to Albert Square in 1997 without Ashley or his parents and reveals that Ashley and Zoe have moved away to get away from Nick.
2000-2001: Return to Albert Square and death[]
Ashley returns to Albert Square briefly in July 2000 to visit Dot for a few days. It is obvious that he has taken after his father when he gets up to mischief. Nick is later released from prison in October and reunites with Ashley and Zoe in the special spin-off episode Return of Nick Cotton (broadcast on 1 October 2000). Ashley wants to live with Nick despite Zoe's reluctance so he and Nick get into a car and decides to travel before returning to Walford.
When they return to Walford and settle in with Dot, Ashley is under the influence of his villainous father Nick and starts taking drugs and gets involved in robberies with Nick. After a series of arguments with both sides of his family, he drifts between each of his parents until a fateful summer evening in June 2001. He steals Mark Fowler's motorbike after an argument in the Queen Vic, unaware that his father has cut the bike's brakes in hope of killing Mark. Nick, Pauline Fowler and Dot shout at Ashley to stop but he couldn't stop the bike until he comes face-to-face with a pedestrian. Ashley swerves to avoid the pedestrian and brakes sharply, but the motorbike flips over a pavement and Ashley crashes into the laundrette. 17-year-old Ashley dies instantly and Nick is riddled with guilt.
Dot later overhears an argument between Mark and Nick and discovers that Nick was responsible for Ashley's death. After Ashley's funeral, Dot confronts Nick and throws him out of the house.
Kill count[]
Attempted murder victims[]
- Mark Fowler (22 January 2001) (on the orders of Nick Cotton) - Ashley is sent out with a can of petrol by Nick, in order to kill Mark by setting fire to his house, and burning him alive, but Ashley couldnt go through with it.