June Brown, the 82-year-old actress behind one of Albert Square's oldest and best-known residents, Dot Cotton, has received her first best TV actress nomination at this year's British Academy Television Awards.
Suffolk-born June, who has starred as the chain-smoking gossip since EastEnders launched in 1985, is being feted for her solo episode in January 2008. She faces competition from Poppy Shakespeare's Anna Maxwell Martin, Maxine Peake and Andrea Riseborough for her portrayal of the young Margaret Thatcher in The Long Walk To Finchley.
Maxine's nomination is one of three for top BBC drama Hancock And Joan. Lead actor Ken Stott is included in the best actor shortlist, and the programme, which charts the final year of comedian Tony Hancock, is up for best single drama.
Other nominees for the awards - presented at a star-studded ceremony on Sunday, April 26 - include Gavin And Stacey's Rob Brydon and Peep Show's David Mitchell, who'll be battling it out for the best comedic performance. Jason Isaacs from The Curse Of Steptoe, The Shooting Of Thomas Hurndall's Stephen Dillane and Criminal Justice's Ben Whishaw complete the best actor hopefuls.
The contenders for best entertainment performance are Jonathan Ross, Stephen Fry, Harry Hill and I'm A Celebrity… hosts Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly. Top drama series nominees include Doctor Who, Shameless and Spooks.
And hoping to be named best entertainment programme on the night are X Factor, QI, Harry Hill's TV Burp and The Sunday Night Project.
Click here to see the full list of nominees
