Emma Barton hopes June Brown will return to EastEnders

Emma Barton doesn\'t know "what is going on" with June Brown leaving \'EatEnders\', because she hasn\'t been on the set since November.

The former \'Strictly Come Dancing\' star is currently on a break from playing Honey Mitchell on the BBC One soap, and despite recent comments from soap stalwart June that she has left her role as Dot Cotton, Emma hopes she will return.

She said: "I hope she is going to parachute back, that would be a cool storyline.

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"She\'s a darling. I\'m not just saying this, but I know the entire \'EastEnders\' family just love June. She\'s a legend. She is \'EastEnders\'.

"But I haven\'t been there since November, so I don\'t know what\'s going on. But we just love her, and she\'s an inspiration to us all."

But Emma is "glad" Honey wasn\'t part of the Carters\' tragic boat party for last week\'s 35th anniversary celebrations, during which Denny Rickman (Bleu Landau) died.

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Speaking on \'Lorraine\', she added: "I\'ve missed a lot. I\'m just glad I wasn\'t on the boat."

Last week, June claimed she has quit the soap after 35 years of playing Dot, insisting she turned down the opportunity for a retainer contract, which would allow her to return to the show in the future.

She said: "I don\'t want a retainer for \'EastEnders\', I\'ve left. I\'ve left for good.

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"I\'ve sent her off to Ireland where she\'ll stay. I\'ve left \'EastEnders\'. I did make up a limerick. It\'s a bit dirty.

"I went back to do a good story. Alas and alack, when I got back it had gone up in smoke.

"I got a small part, a very small part. And that ended up as a big wet fart. Alas and alack, I will never go back."