Lord Michael Cashman, the actor and peer known for playing Colin Russell in EastEnders, has disclosed that his former co-star June Brown, who portrayed Dot Cotton, implored him to help her obtain an assisted death before she passed away in 2022.
Revelation in the House of Lords
During a debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in the House of Lords on Friday, which ultimately failed, Lord Cashman shared the heartfelt request made by Ms Brown. The bill was abandoned after peers exhausted the allocated time for discussion, and it cannot proceed without MPs reintroducing it in the House of Commons.
Lord Cashman said: 'I also remember my dear friend June Brown, who implored me to get her to a country where she could die with dignity and the death that she wanted.'
Historical Context
Ms Brown played Dot Cotton, the chain-smoking launderette worker, for over 30 years on the BBC soap. Her character was central to one of television's most notable euthanasia storylines in 2000, when Dot assisted her friend Ethel Skinner to end her life after a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Lord Cashman himself made broadcasting history in 1989 when his character Colin Russell shared the first on-screen gay kiss on British television.
Personal Struggles
The former Labour peer, now non-aligned, had previously mentioned witnessing a friend's suffering but had not named them. He revealed: 'When my dear friend of many, many years suffered for months, she knew there was another way and she implored me to help her, my lords, I did. I was prepared to break the law as I contacted clinics in the Netherlands and Switzerland. However, it was to come to nothing.'
Lord Cashman also shared that he had watched his husband of 31 years endure a 'slow and agonising death' over a decade ago. He expressed regret that the bill did not pass, stating: 'I deeply regret, my Lords, that we have not passed this necessary and I believe important Bill, we have not fulfilled the humane wishes of those who seek the right to choose how they die.'
Support from June Brown
Lord Cashman has previously recounted how Ms Brown allowed him time away from EastEnders rehearsals to participate in demonstrations against Section 28 during the late 1980s.
