BAFTA-nominated actress June Brown has revealed BBC bosses have cut back on scenes involving her EastEnders character Dot Cotton in attempt to save money. The 82-year-old soap star – who is believed to earn £370,000 a year - told a British newspaper the credit crunch has compelled the show's team to use cheaper, younger actors.
"I'm not due back until May. It's to do with the recession," she told the Sun newspaper. "They could afford ten kids and five dogs for the price of me."
Like all EasEnders actors June earns a basic wage which is boosted by the amount of episodes she appears in.
A spokesperson for the series admitted "EastEnders has to make savings", but stressed that "every effort goes into continuing to make a high quality show".
June received a best actress nomination for this month's BAFTA ceremony with an episode screened last year in which she taped memories for ill husband Jim to listen to in hospital. She's the first soap actress to receive a nod in the category since Jean Alexander was shortlisted for playing Hilda Ogden in Coronation Street.
Whatever the outcome the ceremony will undoubtedly be a big night for June. The veteran star says that with the current economic climate she won't be spending lots of money to look glam, though. "I won't even buy a new dress because it doesn't look right in the recession, does it?" she explained.
