Шығысқы Ендерс: Эшли Коттонның тағдыры

Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Ashley Cotton is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, the son of Zoe Cotton (Elizabeth Chadwick/Tara Ellis) and Nick Cotton (John Altman) and the grandson of Dot Cotton (June Brown). He was played by Rossi Higgins in 1993, and then by Frankie Fitzgerald from 2000 to 2001.

Ashley first appears after his mother Zoe (Elizabeth Chadwick) arrives in Walford to inform his grandmother, Dot (June Brown) of his existence. Dot goes to meet 9 year old Ashley where he becomes close to his grandmother. Dot is eventually persuaded to leave Walford to live with Zoe, Ashley and her son Nick (John Altman) in Gravesend. Dot leaves Gravesend and returns to Walford in 1997 without Ashley or his parents and reveals that Ashley and Zoe have moved to London to get away from Nick, after he was sent to prison for drug offences.

Ashley (now played by Frankie Fitzgerald) returns to the square briefly in July 2000 to visit Dot for a few days. It is obvious he has taken after his father when he gets up to mischief and constantly butts heads with Martin Fowler (James Alexandrou) when they share a room. Nick is later released from prison and reunites with Ashley and Zoe (now played by Tara Ellis) in the special spin off episode titled "Return of Nick Cotton". Ashley leaves to go with Nick despite Zoe's reluctance so he and Nick get into a stolen car and decide to travel before returning to Walford. When they return to Walford and settle in with Dot, Ashley is under the influence of his villainous father Nick by taking drugs and gets involved in robberies with Nick. After Nick falls off some scaffolding, due to Mark Fowler (Todd Carty) spiking his drink, he orders Ashley to set fire to Mark's house, but Ashley cannot go through with it and leaves after Nick disowns him. Nick contacts Ashley a few months later and they reconcile. Their bond resumes until a fateful summer evening in June 2001 when Ashley steals Mark's motorbike after an argument with him in The Queen Vic, unaware that Nick had cut the bike's brakes the previous night in hope of killing Mark. While driving the motorbike through the Square, he swerves to avoid a pedestrian after being unable to apply the brakes, resulting in Ashley being ejected from the motorbike and into the walls of the laundrette, killing him instantly. After his funeral, Dot discovers Nick was responsible for cutting the brakes to the motorbike after overhearing an argument between him and Mark, resulting in her banishing Nick from her life due to this.

Writing for The People in July 2000, Sharon Marshall revealed Ashley would be returning to EastEnders now played by Frankie Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was appearing in a variety show when he was spotted by a talent scout who suggested he send some photos to the BBC's casting department. A few months later, Fitzgerald was asked to audition for the role of Ashley. In September 2000, Martyn Leek of the Sunday Mercury reported Nick Cotton would be returning to EastEnders to find his son. Nick comes face to face with Ashley after he catches him trying to steal his car. Sue Smith of Daily Mirror said "A chip off the old block, their reunion is bound to wreak havoc." Shortly before the character's departure, the Daily Mirror's Ian Woodward said Ashley had clearly become "one of the more popular teenagers in EastEnders."