EastEnders’ Jamie Borthwick says live episode will be easy for surprising reason
EastEnders' Jamie Borthwick says taking part in Strictly Come Dancing has made him more confident and says it was perfect preparation for the BBC soap's live episode
When EastEnders goes live to mark the soap’s 40th anniversary on Wednesday many of the cast will be riddled with nerves, desperate to avoid a mishap in front of the nation. But for Jamie Borthwick, who plays Jay Mitchell, it will be a walk in the park.
The 30-year-old actor, who has been a Walford favourite for 18 years, says taking to the Strictly dance floor has cured him of any nerves. Jamie and his professional partner, Michelle Tsiakkas, lasted ten weeks in the BBC competition and have recently wowed audiences up and down the country on the show’s nationwide tour.
Jamie and his Strictly partner Michelle Tsiakkas were eliminated on the 10th week of the 2024 season (
“And you know what? That live episode will be a walk in the park now I’ve done Strictly, I won’t even be thinking about nerves. That won’t even be a thing. Like, “Oh, are we live?”
“Nothing will be scarier than dancing, doing something I don’t really know how to do, in front of millions, let alone doing something I do know how to do. I won’t even bat an eyelid. I never thought I’d be in that position, so I have to thank Strictly for that.”
So how does he think his time on the show has changed him? Jamie explains: “I suppose it’s made me more confident in my ability. I think that I can do things I never thought I could. When you turn up to do Strictly, you’re so overwhelmed at first because you think, ‘How on Earth am I going to do this? How am I actually going to make this happen?’”.
“But your body just takes over and you go into this autopilot mode. “So if ever I’m faced with something like that again, I will have a bit of a different head on now and kind of go, “You know, I can do it” and relax and just know that my body will take over and I can do it. And I just have fun with it.”
Most celebrities go on Strictly as a springboard to bigger and better projects, and Jamie would be forgiven for having itchy feet. He was just 12 when he landed the role of Jay and instantly became a hit with the soap’s loyal fans.
In nearly two decades he’s been at the heart of some of the show’s biggest storylines, including the murder of his father Jase Dyer, being fostered by Billy Mitchell and even witnessing Ben Mitchell bumping off Heather Trott.
Jamie’s character, Jay, has been part of multiple storylines involving coping with grief, romantic relationships and criminal acts ( Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
And in 2023 he had the nation in tears as Jay was left heartbroken when his wife Lola – played by Danielle Harold – d.i.e.d of a brain tumour. He’s a household name across the country and his stint on Strictly will undoubtedly have casting directors looking his way, but Jamie’s heart is firmly with Albert Square.
Asked if he’s tempted to take on a different acting role, maybe even in the West End, Jamie’s not so sure. He explains: “Dancing live in front of 11 million people, it’s a different buzz. It’s a different kind of feeling. You know, EastEnders is like home. I don’t want to go anywhere. Will I be there as long as Steve McFadden? I don’t know, that’s not my call, that’s up to the show. But I love it. I’ve actually just celebrated 18 years on the show, which feels insane, in a way. That’s why it feels like home to me, home is the only way I can describe EastEnders, so why would I want to leave?”
He’s used to being mobbed in the streets by eager soap fans but taking part in Strictly opened Jamie up to an even bigger audience. And while the attention Strictly attracts is often overwhelming for many of the star dancers, Jamie says being a soap star was perfect preparation.
Jamie has portrayed troublemaker Jay Brown since 2006, when he was 12 ( Image: BBC)
“The only difference is I’m stopped more now by people calling me Jamie, which is nice!” he says. “I think the difference between the two shows is with Strictly it’s such an explosion that burns brightly like this crazy fire for a short period of time while it’s on air, but with “EastEnders it’s a fire that’s burning all year round.
“Everyone’s obsessed with it and there are these massive peaks when there’s a big storyline that everyone’s talking about.”
But has he seen a difference in what fans have to say when they do approach him in the street? “I keep being asked to dance!” he laughs. “Everywhere I go people want to dance with me all the time. I went to the theatre the other night and this woman came up to me and was like, ‘I’m a ballroom dancer, shall we do some foxtrot?’ People have been just so lovely.And the thing I get, which I secretly love, is people often say I should never have gone from Strictly when I did. But, you know, it was a tough year, anyone could have made the final. I’m just so pleased to be a part of it. I feel like speaking to everyone at Strictly, you know, all the regulars, all the crew who work on the show, they were all saying our year was the best year, so I’m pleased to be a part of that.”
