Throughout her time in "EastEnders", many of Dot's scenes have been set in Walford's launderette, where the character has worked as an assistant for almost the entire duration of her time in "EastEnders". Here, Dot was frequently featured with another long-running protagonist, fellow launderette colleague, Pauline Fowler, played by Wendy Richard from 1985 to 2006. Author Christine Geraghty has discussed the working environment the women inhabited, indicating that because the owner of the launderette is barely present, the "working relationship hinges on the friendships (or otherwise) of the women who work in it". As with Ethel, Dot and Pauline's friendship was often used for comedic purposes; emphasis was placed on their differences, leading to numerous petty squabbles and in 2004 saw them "buried alive" underneath a collapsed fairground ride, in the midst of a cake-selling war. However, Pauline and Dot were most frequently shown gossiping, reminiscing about the past, or sharing their woes in the launderette. The duo has been described by television personality Paul O'Grady as a "fabulous double-act": "Dot's probably Pauline's one and only confidant. Pauline eventually will break down and tell Dot things that she'd never tell anybody else." On the episode marking the screen death of Pauline on 25 December 2006, Dot remarks to Pauline, “You’re the only real friend I’ve got", in a scene that Tim Teeman of "The Times" has described as "one of the most moving scenes in a soap 2006".