What a dotty love life!

Bewitching both Beale brothers while blackmailing their dad? It’ll end in trouble for the Albert Square siren, says Milly Zero

Dotty Cotton is at the centre of an Eastenders love triangle with the Beale brothers – while she secretly blackmails their dad. Manipulative mechanic Dotty wants the Arches garage in return for keeping quiet about Ian’s role in Dennis Rickman’s drowning during the Thames boat crash.

This week things get more complicated when Dotty becomes the object of desire for his sons Bobby and Peter.

Actress Milly Zero, who plays the late Nick Cotton’s troublemaking daughter, says, ‘Dotty’s got an ongoing feud with Ian, but she fancies Peter, and he fancies her back. However, she’s also really good friends with Bobby, who clearly has feelings for her. It’s a bit of a Beale spider’s web and I doubt it will end well!’

Dotty turns down Ian’s offer of cash, telling him she wants the Arches or she’ll expose him for locking Dennis in a cabin before the boat went down. ‘She sees The Arches as a long-term investment,’ says Milly, ‘and as she runs it she believes it’s right she owns it. It’s about more than just money.’

Desperate to pay the rent, Dotty stages a club night at Ruby’s and invites Peter. ‘There’s a real spark between them,’ says Milly. ‘Bobby’s too young to go but is desperate to woo Dotty and sneaks in. It’s obvious Bobby has a crush on Dotty, but she sees him more like a little brother.’

Bobby’s bid to act grownup ends in panic stations when he collapses after buying nitrous oxide from one of Dotty’s customers. ‘Dotty is guilt-ridden,’ says Milly, ‘and Peter will wrongly blame her, but there’s more of the love triangle storyline to come. This definitely isn’t the end of Peter and Dotty...’

That could come if Peter finds out she’s blackmailing his dad. ‘The truth has to come out eventually,’ she says. ‘I think if Peter found out, he’d hate Dotty and cut her out of his life.’

Milly, who’s 20 and from south London, has been performing since she was eight and was about to go to drama school last year when she was offered her role in Eastenders.

Now she says she’s learning on the job. ‘It was nerve-racking at first, but doing scenes with some of the soap’s longest-serving characters meant I’ve had to up my game, and I’ve learned so much in a short space of time.’

With filming suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak, Milly says she’s longing to get back to work. ‘It’s made me realise even more how much I loved the show.

‘Eastenders is the best training ground for a young actor, as every day I do something different. Everyone’s so nice and no matter what’s happening in the outside world it all melts away when you get there.’