Brown has said that when she was cast as Dot, she was given a list of illnesses the character had. She added, "It meant she was a because she had nobody to care about her. She was quite a selfish woman name="webchat"/> Dot has been described by author Hilary Kingsley as a "born victim." She adds that "with each blow that life delivers [Dot bobs back up again, almost asking for more trouble, more pain, more suffering." Dot is renowned for being a hypochondriac, her Christian faith and quoting from the Bible. She has been described by Rupert Smith, author of "20 Years in Albert Square", as "God-bothering" and self-righteous. According to Kingsley, "nothing shakes Dot's view that the world is good because the creator made it so. Her faith sustains her through the most appalling ordeals." The character once expressed part of the reason for her faith on-screen in 2000, commenting to a vicar, "I couldn't manage without my faith, not with the life I've had"; former executive producer of "EastEnders", John Yorke, has stated that this is his favourite line of EastEnders' entire existence. Author Antony Slide has noted that Dot's religious beliefs have given her solace, but has given her an excuse to be prejudiced against her neighbours, and to deal with the criminal antics of her wayward son. He described her as a "simpleminded woman whom one loved to hate".