Dot’s friends return (Picture: BBC)

Back in the mid 1980s EastEnders made history with its portrayal of one of TV’s first gay couples, Colin Russell (Lord Michael Cashman) and Barry Clark (Gary Hailes). In 1987 a kiss between the two characters was the first ever same-sex kiss in a soap.

And now the two characters are set to return to Albert Square for Dot Cotton (June Brown)’s funeral. Dot was a great friend to both the men. Though she initially reacted badly when she discovered they were gay, she soon made her peace with it and stayed good friends with Colin until he left in 1989, a year after his relationship with Barry ended. Dot later attended Colin’s wedding to Eddie Tsang.

Neither Colin or Barry would miss the funeral of their beloved old friend, so they both return to pay their respects, with Lord Michael Cashman and Gary Hailes reprising their roles.

Gary told us that coming back after 33 years wasn’t easy. ‘When I first got the phone call, I was terrified,’ he admitted. ‘I hadn’t been in it for 33 years. To come back, it was a bit freaky.’

There was never any doubt in his mind that he would agree to return, though. ‘It was such an honour to be part of such a special episode, it really, really was,’ he said.

‘I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like Dot, or June, or both. She’s so special and to be part of that was an honour, to be honest.’

Reuniting with his former co-star Michael Cashman was another plus. ‘To work with Michael was like putting on a pair of old shoes – really comfortable, and we just clicked. It was brilliant. When I read the script, I thought it was absolutely stunning and so easy to do. It was just like slipping back into something that was so comfortable and so easy. And Michael is just a brilliant actor.’

Although the Albert Square set has been relocated since Gary was last in the show, he found the experience of stepping back into the famous location very strange.

The episode will see the return of old faces (Picture: BBC)

‘The first shot where I was looking at where I used to live, I really was thinking, “Yeah, that used to be such an important part of my life,”’ he recalled. ‘It was surreal. Surreal is the word for that. It really was surreal.’

Looking back, Gary has fond memories of working with June Brown. ‘She was such a lovely person to work with. I remember being in the green room and she was so full of energy. You’d have a conversation with June and then if she got called in for a scene or to rehearse, she would leave the room, still in the midst of that conversation.

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‘As the door would close, the conversation would stop and 20 minutes later she’d come back in and she would continue from where she left off, literally to the word! It was stunning. She was such a special person.’

Dot would almost certainly have approved of the fact that EastEnders have used the occasion of everyone coming together to remember her to reunite Colin and Barry.

‘It’s really positive that that’s the end and they do get to get back together,’ Gary revealed. ‘And that actually they did the kiss that they were never allowed to back in the ‘80s.’

Gary will also reunite with his former co-star, Michael Cashman.