Rose Cotton

Name: Rose Cotton
First Appeared: 22nd August 2011
Last Appeared: 19th July 2012
Played by: Polly Perkins

Born to a neglectful mother, Martha Colwell, Rose Cotton grew up alongside her brothers Gerry and Tim Taylor, and her older half-sister, Dot Branning. Their relationship was rocky from the start, with Rose running away during a holiday to Clacton, leaving Dot to take the blame. At fifteen, Rose found herself in jail overnight, only to be bailed out by Dot due to a case of mistaken identity. Classic Cotton chaos!

In 2011, Rose reappeared in Dot’s life when Dot decided to make amends before she died. Dot found Rose in Southend-on-Sea, living a life of lies about her wealth and her supposedly dead husband. When Dot discovered the truth, Rose admitted she didn’t want Dot to think badly of her. They began to bond, and Dot invited Rose to live with her in Walford. The move revealed a bombshell: Rose’s son, Andrew, was the product of a bigamous marriage with Dot’s first husband, Charlie Cotton. Dot kicked Rose out but eventually took her back in, unable to stay mad at her sister for long.

Rose’s time in Walford was filled with schemes and shenanigans. She convinced Jean Slater she was psychic, got a job as Doctor Yusef Khan’s receptionist, and even misplaced some crucial test results, causing a minor panic. Her flirtation with Reverend Stevens added a touch of romance, much to Dot’s dismay. Rose’s antics didn’t stop there; she brought alcohol to a church event and later had a fling with Patrick Trueman, which led to a falling out with Reverend Stevens. Despite the drama, Dot and Rose managed to patch things up, with Rose revealing her abusive past and Dot allowing her to stay.

The Cotton family drama reached new heights when Andrew announced his engagement to Heather Trott. Rose wasn’t thrilled about Andrew’s choice and tried to undermine Heather, but eventually, she realised her jealousy stemmed from not wanting to lose her son. She helped Dot arrange the wedding, but things took a dark turn when Heather was murdered. Andrew was arrested, and Rose, Dot, and Cora Cross went on a mission to prove his innocence. They succeeded, but the ordeal left Rose feeling lonely and out of place in Walford.

In 2012, Dot left to spend time with her granddaughter, Dotty, leaving Rose to fend for herself. Feeling isolated and jealous of Cora and Patrick’s friendship, Rose decided to leave Walford. A decade later, Rose was mentioned again after Dot’s death, unable to attend the funeral as she was stuck on a holiday cruise with Andrew.