EastEnders Wiki

NOTE: Please do not add content from the BBC iPlayer's early episodes until it has been aired on television, as it is intrusive to our readers who may not have seen the episode on iPlayer. Repeated intentional offences of this rule could lead to a ban, Many thanks the EastEnders Wiki admin team.

READ MORE

EastEnders Wiki
Register
Advertisement
EastEnders Wiki

Matthew Cotton (previously Mitchell-Cotton) is the son of Charlie Cotton and Ronnie Branning, brother of Danielle and James, nephew of Roxy and cousin of Amy; as well as grandson of Nick and Yvonne Cotton alongside Archie and Glenda Mitchell.

Storylines[]

Matthew is born after Ronnie is involved in a car accident. She is later placed in a coma, due to her injuries. Her sister, Roxy Mitchell and her boyfriend Aleks Shirovs look after Matthew when Charlie refuses to see him, due to Ronnie's absence. Charlie's father, Nick Cotton, takes Matthew from Roxy, attempting to force Charlie to see his son but Charlie refuses and gives him back to Roxy. Aleks suggests naming him Matthew after Nick's mother Dot Branning quotes from the Gospel of Matthew. Aleks's daughter Ineta Shirovs becomes fed up with Aleks looking after Matthew and takes him to the bus stop, so they can go to the hospital. Charlie finds them and takes Matthew home. He and Roxy then share residency until Ronnie is discharged from hospital.

When Matthew is nine months old, he stays with Ronnie when she and Charlie separate, although Charlie vows to fight for custody. When Charlie tells Roxy he wants to take Matthew to France, she tells Ronnie. Roxy goes with Charlie but he soon realises that Ronnie and Roxy are working together when he sees Roxy constantly looking at her phone and Fatboy tells him that Vincent has told Ronnie, so he decides to leave with Matthew alone. However, Ronnie arrives before Charlie can board his train, and convinces him not to make the same mistakes as Nick did. Charlie leaves Matthew with Ronnie. Four days later, Charlie returns to Walford, having been persuaded by Dot to fight for custody, but Ronnie turns nasty when Charlie threatens to tell the police that she murdered Carl White and says that she will never see Matthew again. She and former boyfriend, Vincent Hubbard, confront Charlie, who, in fear of his life, disappears. Matthew lives with Ronnie and her ex-husband, Jack Branning, when they reunite in March 2016 and Jack and Roxy's daughter, Amy Mitchell later moves in. Matthew is nearly hit by a car when Hannah Reynolds steps into the road whilst holding him, but is saved by Andy Flynn, who pushes them out of the way of the approaching car.

On the night that Ronnie and Jack remarry on New Year's Day 2017, Ronnie and Roxy die, leaving Matthew in Jack and Glenda Mitchell's care when she moves in to help bring up the children. Glenda, Amy, Matthew and Jack's son Ricky Mitchell grow close but eventually she realises she is not what Jack, Amy, Ricky and Matthew need to get through Ronnie and Roxy's deaths so decides to leave Walford, while promising to remain a part of Amy and Matthew's lives. After taking Matthew to the garden centre in February 2017, Dot has an accident in her car due to her eye sight. She and Matthew are unharmed and taken home by the police. When Matthew goes missing, Jack's brother, Max Branning, tells Jack that Matthew is at Dot's and when Jack goes to get him, Charlie answers the door, telling Jack they need to talk about Matthew. Jack reluctantly lets Charlie spend time with and look after Charlie. Charlie tells Dot that he has seen a solicitor about Matthew, who he plans to take back to Ireland with him. Dot tells Jack that Charlie is going to take Matthew back to Ireland and Charlie and Jack argue about it, with Jack later telling Charlie that he swore on Ronnie's grave to never leave Amy, Ricky and Matthew. When Charlie provokes Jack by saying Ronnie deserved to die, Jack punches him and Max tells Jack he may have lost his chances of keeping Matthew. Max learns that Jack still may get to keep Matthew despite the fight with Jack, so Max visits Charlie and beats him up to make it look like Jack did it.

In April 2017, Jack is arrested and charged with assault. Dot attempts to mediate between Charlie and Jack, but they fail to come up with any solution and Jack plans to go on the run with Amy, Ricky and Matthew, but Dot tells Max and they talk him out of it. Charlie watches Honey Mitchell in the park with Amy, Ricky, Matthew and her children, Janet and Will Mitchell. Honey tells Charlie what a good father Jack is and Charlie informs Jack he has notified social services about applying for residency. Stacey Fowler tells Jack he has to work things out with Charlie. Charlie's wife, Liz Cotton arrives in Albert Square in place of Charlie and tells Jack about her job and family, trying to assure him that Matthew would have a good life and that Amy and Ricky would be welcome to visit. Jack phones Liz to arrange a visit and agree rules for Matthew, letting Charlie have residency. Jack and Dot are heartbroken when Matthew leaves with Charlie and Liz.

Charlie and Matthew return in December 2017 and Charlie explains to Jack the reason for their return is that Matthew refers to Jack as "dad". Charlie also tells Jack that he just wanted contact and that having Matthew full-time was not part of the "plan", so Jack demands to know what the plan was. Charlie tells Jack that Max set him up. After initially denying it, Max admits that he was responsible for Matthew being taken away as payback and Jack throws Max out. After this, Charlie left again with Matthew.

In December 2022, it is revealed that Matthew has inherited £1,000 from Dot after she dies.

Gallery[]



Advertisement