Crown Media Erica Carroll as Dottie, with Jack Wagner as Bill.
Fans haven’t seen Dottie for quite some time on When Calls the Heart, and in Season 8 there are even rumors that the character may be interested in selling her dress shop. What happened to Dottie (played by Erica Carroll) on Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart. Where is she?
Carroll Said She Wasn’t in the Series Anymore Because of Her Health
Carroll has explained her character’s absence from the series on her Twitter account. When she congratulated When Calls the Heart for a great Season 6 finale, one fan asked if there was any chance that she would return in Season 7.
Carroll responded: “All depends on my health m’lady…sure is nice to be missed tho ♥️ I’m sure Dottie would have some great design ideas coming from the big city and all 😉”
@theblinglady13 All depends on my health m’lady…sure is nice to be missed tho ♥️ I’m sure Dottie would have some great design ideas coming from the big city and all 😉
The last we heard about Dottie on the show, she had moved to Union City to open another dress shop after her business grew.
Carroll tweeted in April 2020 that she didn’t leave by choice and said she talks more about it on her Instagram.
@debrabrayrcnco1 @HallmarkiesPod Pop over to my insta account and you’ll see why 😉 It wasn’t a choice.
In 2019, she shared that she hopes to return to the show one day.
@Kristy_Lou_Lyn @MetacarolineR @hallmarkchannel @SCHeartHome @JaivenNatt @erinkrakow @HuttonPascale @KavanjSmith @b3nros3 @AndreaKBrooks @paulgreenemedia I wish I could. ☺️ Maybe one day I’ll be back. 👍🏻
On her Instagram, she posts notes of positivity for others who deal with chronic illnesses like she does, letting them know that they are not alone and she’s in the journey right alongside them.
In February 2020 she shared this message:
She wrote:
Hello my friends. I have been on quite the dark adventure these last 20+ years, and this image depicts perfectly how it has felt most days. I do believe it is time I start sharing the ups and downs, tricks, hacks, revelations, remedies, gadgets, preventions, precautions and inconvenient truths that we all might want to consider moving forward on this planet. Although it has been an extremely tough road, I am grateful for all I’ve learned and what shape my life will take moving forward. I know a lot of you followed me because of my career as an actor, so my posts moving forward may not interest you but they may enlighten you and I feel like that is a greater gift for me to give than a set selfie. 📸
How many of you out there are currently experiencing any of the following?
#LYME #TN #TrigeminalNeuralgia #atypicaltrigeminalneuralgia #chronicillness #ChronicFatigue #ME #myalgicencephalomyelitis #POTS #LymeDisease #LymeCoinfections #heavymetaltoxicity #moldtoxicity #EDSI can’t do this alone. Lets support one another and keep our heads above water…shall we?
On Twitter, she has shared her concerns about news outlets downplaying the symptoms of Lyme Disease and sharing misinformation.
Welcome to the #lyme complex club @justinbieber ,membership has no privileges🥴Now we get to see the news outlets downplay symptoms&spread more misinformation about this #disease What fun!🤦🏻♀️😒Weird symptoms?Get tested: @arminlabs @igenexi Shame on the CDC #avril #bieber #yolanda
In an interview in 2017 with My Devotional Thoughts, Carroll shared that she was having to take a step back from acting because of her health.
She said: “Now, as to anything else upcoming, I have actually taken a big detour to be honest. I’m not auditioning any more. I’m venturing into writing and directing. This past year has been challenging for me health-wise, so trying to keep up with the pace of auditioning is not really an option for me, so I’m starting to branch out into other areas that I’m very interested in and starting a whole new chapter of my life.”
She shared that she had also started a T-shirt company that was focused on socially conscious, thought-provoking messages.
She added: “It’s a little scary, but I feel like acting wasn’t the end of the road for me. I’ve always felt like I want to keep learning more and challenging myself more. And I really want to contribute more to the stories that are out there. And I know I have really great stories in me that I need to get out. So that’s what I’m doing, and I’m pretty pumped about it. So understand that I’m not leaving acting, but I really want to pursue learning more skills. I’m fulfilling my artistry another way.”
Fans Still Miss Dottie
Fans still miss Dottie Ramsey and share how much they miss her on Twitter.
Erica Carroll known in #WCTH as Dottie Ramsey. We miss you Lady!
@divinepigeon #Hearties #WhenCallsTheHeart
💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞
@divinepigeon #Hearties miss Dottie! It was an awesome S6!
It feels like Dottie just opened her dress shop yesterday.
Dottie is going to open a dress shop???? What about our sweet Clara?! 💗 @RealEvaBourne @divinepigeon @WCTH_TV #Hearties
But perhaps Rosemary will take over the store next?
Wow @Rosemary invented a new business model for Dottie’s Dress Shop just be being a little generous with Wilma. That’s how it works in #HopeValley #Hearties. Where your heart guides… compassion provides. @WCTH_TV
I’m so excited to see what season 8 has to offer and I really miss Dottie 🤧 I loved the friendship between her and Rosemary ♥️
#pascalehutton #rosemaryleveaux #rosemarycoulter #ericacarroll #dottieramsey #whencallstheheart #wcth #hearties @HuttonPascale
Oh Dottie!! I miss her!! #Hearties
Whatever’s next, When Calls the Heart will make it memorable.