When Rocky “Tom” Cotton first arrived in EastEnders , he aroused suspicions. Rocky was living under the false identity of Terry Cant and in cahoots with Dot Cotton, trying to swindle Sonia Fowler.
Two years on, Rocky has become the loveable clown of Walford and even swept Kathy Beale off her feet. This week, as the pair prepare to say, “I do”, with Kathy’s bad track record of romances, could this trip down the aisle be her happily ever after?
“Kathy hopes it is!” exclaims Gillian Taylforth who plays the bride-to-be. “Rocky’s a lovely guy, he’s handsome, he makes her laugh, he’s kind and he’s great fun to be with. I think she’s hoping this is the end of it, once they’re married. But it’s Rocky, so anything can happen.”
Rocky will be husband number four for Kathy and actor Brian Conley is thrilled to have his first on-screen wedding.
“I left the house that morning and my wife said, ‘What are you doing today?’ ‘Oh, I’m going to go and
get married,’” he laughs. “I really feel that I’m now embedded in the tapestry of EastEnders , getting married to Kathy Beale.”
It’s rare for families like the Cottons and the Beales to be at the front and centre of an EastEnders wedding. Here, Gillian, 67, and Brian, 61, tell us what we can expect from their nuptials and their future
in the soap…
So, there’s a bit of a disaster on Rocky’s stag do, how is he feeling ahead of the wedding?
Brian: Well, of course, he’s very anxious, as any bridegroom would be. He’s just worried about it – worried that it’s going to go smoothly. I’d love to dish it all out for you! I really would. What’s really going through his head. His head
is exploding with all sorts of stuff.
Any unexpected guests?
Gillian: [Rocky’s ex] Jo turns up with an agenda – she’s got more things to say which aren’t going to be very nice for Kathy. But Kathy doesn’t see her at the wedding, she doesn’t see her until afterwards at the reception when it all kicks off.
Brian: Rocky just wants Jo out of the way, he hadn’t seen her for 25 years, then she suddenly turns up. But
he got his parrot back and he’s very happy about that, even though it’s been well documented that it does swear a lot on set.
What’s the wedding like?
Brian: It’s a beautiful day. And the big thing for me – where I was really blown away – is that the carriage
that took us from the register office back to the Vic was the same one that Frank and Pat Butcher had!
Gillian: It was lovely for me having never been married before in my life – I got to wear a wedding dress. Costume got me a couple of dresses and I chose this beautiful one. It’s really, really lovely – cream, lacy with diamanté around the waist and a bow at the back.
How does Kathy feel about becoming a Cotton?
Gillian: I think I’d rather stay a Beale! Or Kathy Beale-Cotton, but that doesn’t really work.
I think because she loves Rocky so much she’s proud to be a Cotton now. What Kathy wants is for this marriage to work.
Can Rocky stop making mistakes and lying to Kathy?
Brian: Rocky can spin a yarn. He gets into such a situation, you’re shouting at the telly, “Why didn’t you say the truth at the beginning?” Suddenly Rocky’s down this big rabbit hole and getting into a position where he’s backed into a corner. He just gets himself into a state.
Cufflinks appear that are linked to a death at Christmas (seen in a flash-forward episode). Should we worry for Rocky?
Brian: I think you should be worried for everyone, we’re worried as actors, we genuinely are. In the lead
up to Christmas there will be 10 people and you’ll go, it’s them, it’s them! We do talk about it and none of us have got a clue. Online, they have their own theories – someone said that because the women are dressed in different colours, that it’s the London Underground map!
Gillian: We’ve been sitting round and pondered who it could be. At one stage, I thought the body could be me. Then I remembered that I’m stood over them in the purple dress. It could be something like the Orient Express where we’ve all killed him, or her, and we all say, “It’s us!” and we all stick up for one another. We’ve got
no idea whatsoever.
EastEnders, Monday to Thursday, 7.30pm, BBC One.
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