BBC EastEnders’ Rocky Cotton’s real life from show feud rumours to stunning wife
As EastEnders' Rocky Cotton's dodgy insurance plan backfires in spectacular fashion, we take a look at the life of the actor who plays him, from his gorgeous wife to rumours of a backstage feud
Things haven’t exactly gone to plan for Rocky Cotton (Brian Conley) over in EastEnders, with the cash-strapped car dealer’s decision to set fire to Kathy’s café and claim on the insurance backfiring with potentially deadly consequences. Gambling addict Rocky has been left racked with guilt after wife Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) was arrested for arson in the wake of the fire, and is now under pressure from Harvey Monroe (Ross Boatman), who has urged him to come clean and clear Kathy’s name.
All the while of course, Rocky is still feeling the heat from loan shark Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) amid mounting debts, and it doesn’t look as though his myriad of problems will be wiped away anytime soon. As Rocky grapples with his conscious, we take a look at actor Brian’s life away from Walford, from his marriage to a glam wife, to a reported backstage feud.
It was love at first sight for Brian and Anne-Marie (
Daily Mirror)
Brian’s first joke to Anne-Marie initially made her heart ‘sink’ (
Getty Images)
Love at first sight and unique proposal
Things aren’t exactly sunshine and roses between Rocky and Kathy at the moment, but away from the square, Brian is a bit of a romantic. The thespian knew wife Anne-Marie was the one from their very first meeting in 1991, which came about in an unusual way. Ventriloquist Ray Alan, who Brian was working in pantomime with at the time, was the one who played matchmaker, telling him about a “wonderful woman” who worked in his wife’s office, who he believed would be a “perfect match”.
Ray’s wife arranged for artist Anne-Marie to attend one of the shows at Wimbledon Theatre, and her nerves quickly turned to bewilderment when she ventured backstage, where she was greeted by the sight of Brian completely caked in bronze makeup. During an interview with OK! magazine, Brian recalled: “We both felt a bit uncomfortable, and she was a tad frightened by my overly bronzed appearance! We exchanged numbers nevertheless, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Anne-Marie shared her side of the story in a sweet Instagram post marking their 25th wedding anniversary back in August 2021, writing: “I remember thinking, ‘Blimey he’s wearing a lot of makeup’ (I’m not in showbiz). Our first date was at The Victoria Palace Theatre to see Buddy. His first joke to me was ‘do you wanna see a photo of my kids’. My heart sank a little as I was only 24 and not ready for that… anyway, he pulled out a picture of two goats! (many of you know this one well). Anyway, I think I fell in love that very night and I love him now even more.”
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Opening up about the strong feelings he had for Anne-Marie from day one, Brian, 62, continued: “From the moment I laid eyes on Anne-Marie, she had an undeniable allure that would command the attention of any room. People would be in awe, exclaiming, ‘Oh my God, look at that girl’. It’s one of the many reasons why we’ve remained together for 31 years. Recently, we joyously celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.”
Realising he’d found the woman for him, Brian set about planning a proposal, which nearly ended in disaster. During an appearance on The One Show, Brian revealed: “I proposed as a knight in armour. With a choir. And not realising, because I hired the knight uniform – I didn’t realise it was proper knight’s gear. You know I thought it would be fiberglass because it was booked from a film studio. But no. And I had a big job getting off the horse, but eventually I did and you know, nearly killed myself!”
In the same interview, Brian offered an insight into their equally unique wedding day, held at Stoke Poges chapel in Buckinghamshire in 1996, sharing: “The car that went from the church to the procession was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Yeah, it was a lovely moment you know, you’ve got to push the boat out.” The couple has since settled in a beautiful six-bedroom home in Buckinghamshire, where they raised their two now grown-up daughters, Lucy and Amy.
Alleged feud
Brian has recently confirmed he was leaving the role, leading to rumours swirling surrounding an alleged backstage feud. In a previous report published by The Sun, it was claimed that EastEnders writers were dashing around trying to squeeze Rocky’s ending into the upcoming Christmas storyline, with soap bosses said to be “furious” about the exit. The insider told the publication: “They’d made so many plans around him and his character, and they really thought he was in for the long haul. There has been a lot said in private about him messing up their plans. Whatever has wound him up, it feels like he can’t get out of there quick enough – and now they’re going to have to rewrite their storyline plans for his rapid exit.”
According to another article, also published by The Sun, Brian decided to leave after cast members were informed they wouldn’t be allowed to take up pantomime roles in 2024, as the BBC soap prepares for its 40th anniversary celebrations in February 2025. A source claimed: “Filming for February usually takes place before Christmas, so for those wanting to do a five-week run would mean the show would be unable to use them in any of their plans relating to the anniversary.”
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Addressing such claims in a video shared via Instagram, Brian clarified that he had not been involved with any rows behind the scenes, stating: “You may have heard reports that I’m leaving EastEnders. It was a tough decision but it is true, I am going and I made it for many reasons, that decision. It is tough because they’re such a wonderful crowd, in front of the cameras and behind the cameras and I’ve loved my three years there. So that’s the truth in the reports.”
He continued: “There’s other parts of reports saying that I clashed with TV bosses and the crew. I didn’t clash with anyone. I didn’t have a rant. But they’ll probably report on this now that I’m ranting about ranting! But I’m not ranting! I have gone with their blessings at the Beeb and I’m excited about the future and where it’s going to go. And I’m also excited about Rocky’s exit because I know it’s good. So I’m sending you much love – all EastEnders fans.”
A spokesperson told The Sun: “EastEnders cast take part in panto every year, but as we lead up to our milestone 40th anniversary, all cast members have been asked to be involved for storyline purposes. We’ve received no complaints. In fact, everyone has been supportive of the plan.” A second spokesperson added: “As previously stated by Brian Conley earlier in the week, EastEnders are fully supportive of Brian’s decision to leave at the end of his contract and we wish him the very best for the future.”
