Father Ted's Mrs Doyle joins EastEnders

Pauline McLynn will play Yvonne, Dot Cotton's daughter-in-law, in the soap

Father Ted star Pauline McLynn is joining the cast of BBC One soap EastEnders.

The Irish actress will have a "recurring guest role" as Charlie Cotton's mother, Yvonne.

McLynn, who played housekeeper Mrs Doyle in the Channel 4 sitcom, will make her first appearance next month.

"I know that viewers are going to both love and be intrigued by Yvonne Cotton," Dominic Treadwell-Collins, the show's executive producer, said.

"I have always been a little in love with Pauline McLynn, so I'm so excited that she's joining the Cotton family."

He added it was "about time Albert Square had another Irish character".

McLynn, who also starred in Channel 4 drama Shameless and BBC sitcom Jam and Jerusalem, is best known as the scatty Mrs Doyle in Father Ted, a role she played over the duration of the show from 1995-1998.

"It is a thrill to join EastEnders, my favourite soap, and in particular any chance to be part of a Dot Cotton storyline is not to be passed up - June Brown is a legend and I feel privileged to act with her," the actress said.

Her on-screen son, Charlie (Declan Bennett), arrived on the square earlier this year following the death of his father Nick - Dot Cotton's troublesome son.

There have been a number of shifts in the soap's cast in recent months - Danny Dyer led the charge, joining the show as new Queen Vic landlord Mick Carter in December 2013, alongside Timothy West as his on-screen father Stan.

On Good Friday, cast regular Lucy Beale - played by Hetti Bywater - was killed off in a dramatic "whodunnit" storyline, while earlier this month Patsy Palmer - Albert Square stalwart Bianca - announced she would be leaving the show this autumn.