Charlie Cotton (Declan Bennett)

[tammyy2j]

Charlie's week gets off to a bad start when DC Emma Summerhayes (Emma Acton) attempts to arrest him for impersonating a policeman, and it soon becomes more apparent than ever that he is not all he seems.


With Charlie's mum Yvonne becoming increasingly worried that his closeness with Dot (June Brown) will bring Nick back into their lives, Charlie (Declan Bennett) promises to stop seeing Dot.

However, Charlie's decision to sever all contact with Dot seems to have come too late when his car is vandalised and it is evident that Nick is responsible.


After Charlie receives a message from Nick confirming that he was in fact behind the vandalism, Yvonne's worst fears come true, and she tells Charlie that they need to leave immediately.

Despite some initial hesitation from Charlie due to his relationship with Dot, Yvonne soon manages to convince him it's for the best and the pair prepare to leave.

Yvonne informs Dot that Charlie has been transferred back to Ireland and he has to leave right away. An emotional Charlie then says a tough goodbye to an upset Dot as he prepares to leave Walford forever.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2...#ixzz3A82esKpV

[tammyy2j]

Seems to be something brewing with him and Roxy just as preggers Ronnie returns

[Perdita]

Charlie Cotton goes into a state of shock and disbelief on EastEnders next week as he struggles to cope with the repercussions of the recent car crash.

With his new wife Ronnie Mitchell in a coma and her cousin Phil being framed for sabotaging the vehicle, Charlie doesn't know how to respond and ends up rejecting his newborn son.

Here, Declan Bennett - who plays Charlie - offers his thoughts on the emotional time ahead.

What was your reaction when you first found out what was going to happen on Charlie and Ronnie's wedding day?
"I was shocked, although I think I was more shocked that we actually got married, because in my head I thought these two have a really chequered past.

"Obviously I'd heard in advance that the car crash was going to happen, so in my head I thought 'That's going to happen and we're not going to get married'. So I was more surprised that they actually got a ring on each other's finger before the crash happened!"

What was it like filming the car crash stunt?
"It was cool! We did it quite a few times and the stunt people were the people that blew me away the most. Normally I'd do my own stunts, but given that there was a car toppling on its side and bashing through some barriers, I thought I'd let those guys do it! It was incredible to see the technical aspect of a stunt happen. But yeah, it was awesome, really fun to do."

The exact details of who would be involved in the crash were kept under wraps. Have you found it difficult keeping such a huge storyline a secret?
"Yes, because nobody saw the crash coming. The whole point was that it was going to be a bit of a surprise. It was more about 'what's going on with your dad?' People never in a million years thought that this crash was going to happen.

"I could talk to them about all the other stuff because they thought it was all going to be about family stuff, but in the back of my head I was thinking, 'You really don't know what's about to happen!' Rather than difficult it was actually quite amusing. It was fun to help keep a big secret."

What goes through Charlie's mind when he learns that Phil is the main suspect behind the crash?
"He immediately goes into a state of disbelief which then turns into rage. He's always had a problem with Phil and Phil's always had a problem with him. When he learns that Phil is a potential suspect, it all sets into place for him and he thinks, 'Of course he did that because he never liked me to begin with'.

"Phil's been incredibly well framed by Nick, and on paper it's absolutely believable that he's done it, so Charlie instantly wants to kill him. I think this is when we really see Charlie's darker side come out, that he's got his father inside of him. So there's definitely lots of rage, lots of disbelief and just absolute shock and terror at what's happening."

We see Charlie really struggling to connect with his newborn son. What's going through his mind?
"So much has happened in such a short space of time. I think people imagine what their wedding is going to be like, they imagine what the reception is going to be like and they imagine what it's going to be like when their baby is born. They project all of these lovely, positive emotions and feelings and images of what that day is going to be like.

"Half way through the reception, any images Charlie has dreamed up in his head are completely bashed and they no longer exist. I think he truly believes that his wife and his baby are going to die right there in front of him, so when his baby is actually born but Ronnie's still lying there in a coma, he just goes into a very weird survival mode in that he becomes quite introverted and wants to protect himself because he feels like he can't do this without Ronnie.

"To see this baby that's been brought in amidst this horrible scenario is terrifying for him. I think he's just really struggling to feel any kind of connection to this child while she's lying there in a coma."

Do you think deep down Charlie might know that Nick is really behind it?
"I don't think for a minute Charlie thinks his dad is behind it. I don't think it crosses his mind at all. There's a lovely scene and you see a really soft side to Nick and he's there for his son in his hour of need.

"The horrible part is that you know as an audience member that Nick's the one who's actually caused it. But to see that connection between the two of them, and the possibility that the connection can actually exist, is a lovely part of their relationship that we've never seen before."

What impact do you think the storyline is going to have on Charlie and the Cottons in the long run?
"It's really hard to predict with this one. I've thought about it a hell of a lot! One of the central things is that we now have a new baby who's been brought into Albert Square and it's a Mitchell-Cotton, so that's quite a family that that kid has been brought into!

"It's going to be really interesting to see these two families try to make sense of everything that's happened. If Ronnie comes out of this coma, there's a whole lot of stuff that's going to need to be dealt with and even I'm not entirely sure where it's going to go."

What has it been like working with June Brown and John Altman?
"Brilliant! When I first got the job and they were telling me I was coming in as Nick's son and Dot's grandson, that was the big pull for me to work with two people who played such big, iconic characters on the show. The two of them have been amazing. June's been incredible and it's been lovely working with John. It was amazing the first time John came on set. There was a real electricity in the air and everyone was like, 'Nick's back'! He's a lovely bloke and he's become a good friend."

Has the experience of joining EastEnders been what you expected?
"Yes and no! It's a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. It's a lot more challenging than I thought it was going to be, but it's also a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be!

"What's nice now is that I'm coming up to being in the show for nearly a year and I'm really starting to feel quite settled now. I'm bonding with certain people and you really do start to connect with people, particularly the people you work with quite a lot. People like Sam, Rita, John and Pauline. Me and Pauline have such a laugh, she's such an amazing woman."

[lizann]

was it ronnie's car or charlie's himself in crash

[alan45]

It's a new year and a time for new life on Albert Square as Charlie Cotton's little one is finally coming home.
Despite recently surviving a car crash, the newlywed won't have time to relax and recover with a brand new baby.
With his wife Ronnie in hospital it's up to him to look after the new boy, who also made it through the tragic New Year's Day accident.

You're a daddy! It's time for Charlie Cotton to meet his child as Nick brings him home for the first time
In the upcoming episode Charlie's dad Nick brings the newborn home for his son, played by Declan Bennett to meet.
This comes after Phil Mitchell gave him a talking to at the hospital as Ronnie's life was hanging in the balance.

The East End hard man told Charlie it was about time he stepped up and became the father he now has to be.

Better get comfortable! Charlie looks uneasy as he has to face up to being a father and hold his new baby

What a cutie! The little one gets cosy with his dad Charlie
The scenes in the episodes to come show his apprehension at taking hold of the latest addition to the family.
However he is later shown to be somewhat taken in by the tiny baby as he sits with him in his arms.
The accident was a bad start to 2015 for Charlie and Ronnie who had only just tied the know before they lost control of their blue Audi in the middle of the Square.
Step up: Phil Mitchell had some stern words with Charlie after the crash and told him it was time to accept his role and a father

[Perdita]

EastEnders star Declan Bennett is leaving the show, Digital Spy can exclusively reveal.

The actor is currently working on his final scenes in the role of Charlie Cotton after show bosses decided to write out the character.

An EastEnders spokesperson told Digital Spy: "We can confirm that Declan Bennett will be leaving EastEnders. We wish him all the best for the future."

Bennett has already been spotted filming on-location for his exit scenes, which take place at a train station.



The scenes in question see Charlie joined by Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons) and his baby son Matthew as he prepares to make a fresh start - could this mean that Roxy joins him when he goes?


Bennett has been playing Charlie since early 2014, when the character was introduced as the grandson that Dot Branning never knew existed.

Viewers quickly realised that the mysterious newcomer wasn't all he seemed, with it later emerging that he was impersonating a policeman and had helped to fake the death of his father Nick.

Charlie fell for Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack) after he started to settle in on the Square and the pair are now married, but he has also developed romantic feelings for her sister Roxy.

Roxy and Charlie grew close while Ronnie was in a coma following a huge car accident at the beginning of the year. While they have both since put their forbidden feelings aside for Ronnie's sake, the tension between them still seems unresolved.

EastEnders will air Charlie's exit in early autumn.


www.digitalspy.co.uk

[tammyy2j]

Do Roxy and him take off with Matthew but not Amy

[Kim]

Sacking Charlie Cotton now? When will the producer get some imagination and use the characters they have rather than sacking everyone and bringing in new ones?

What's going to happen to Dot? Soon Sonia, Rebecca and Abi will be the only relatives of Jim left in the Square and with her own grandson gone too, she's such an isolated character. This makes no sense as June has recently refused to cut her hours. Perhaps he's secretly trying to get her out; there was something about having to watch the books because of high profile signings and she must be one of the most highly paid...

Lindsey/Carol seems the only exit this year where the actor actually wanted out (plus Jake/Max for a year.)

[Kim]

Do Roxy and him take off with Matthew but not Amy

It's stupid. As if Ronnie would ever allow Matthew to be taken. He should be at the scrapyard, not a train station.

[Perdita]

Sacking Charlie Cotton now? When will the producer get some imagination and use the characters they have rather than sacking everyone and bringing in new ones?

What's going to happen to Dot? Soon Sonia, Rebecca and Abi will be the only relatives of Jim left in the Square and with her own grandson gone too, she's such an isolated character. This makes no sense as June has recently refused to cut her hours. Perhaps he's secretly trying to get her out; there was something about having to watch the books because of high profile signings and she must be one of the most highly paid...

Lindsey/Carol seems the only exit this year where the actor actually wanted out (plus Jake/Max for a year.)

I thought June could not afford to retire or have hours cut so maybe she is not getting paid that much ...