For Strictly this year, the EastEnders star has been partnered with Michelle Tsiakkas (Image: BBC)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy Notice He’s been a household name since he was 12 years old thanks to his role as Jay Brown in EastEnders, but until recently, Jamie Borthwick has always been too shy to appear on TV as himself. However, all that changed when Strictly Come Dancing came calling and asked him to waltz into last year’s Christmas special with Nancy Xu as his dance partner. And now he’s about to star in the real thing, starting on Saturday, 21 September on BBC One. In the past, Jamie, 30, has shunned celebrity appearances but after a tricky year, he decided to embrace new challenges. “I decided I need to stop saying ‘no’,” Jamie told OK! at the time. “And lo and behold, Strictly rang! I thought, ‘What a perfect example to put that into practice.’ So I said ‘yes’! And what’s more festive than the Christmas special? I’m saying ‘yes’ to things much more now.”
For use in UK, Ireland or Benelux countries only Undated BBC handout photo of Sam Quek, Shayne Ward, Tasha Ghouri, Dr Punam Krishan, Pete Wicks, Jamie Borthwick, Nick Knowles, JB Gill, Chris McCausland, Montell Douglas, Toyah Willcox, Wynne Evans, Paul Merson, Sarah Hadland and Tom Dean, the celebrity contestants in this year’s BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing. Issue date: Tuesday September 10, 2024. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Ray Burmiston/PA Wire This year’s Strictly stars
(Image: PA)
Jamie loves working on EastEnders and for the past 17 years has been happily playing Jay and getting into all sorts of scrapes in Walford. Last year, he was given one of his most difficult storylines when Jay’s wife Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold) died of a brain tumour, leaving him to raise her daughter Lexi. Despite its challenges, Jamie feels most at home when he’s acting. “I’ve never really felt comfortable being myself in front of a camera or on a show,” he confides. “I like to be an actor hiding behind a character. I like to keep myself out of the way, but obviously that is a detriment to yourself and you don’t get to experience great things, and meet people like Nancy or all the other great people on Strictly. I thought, ‘You’ve just got to throw yourself into things like this.’”
EastEnders star Jamie danced with Nancy Xu on Christmas Day
(Image: BBC/Guy Levy)
One of the reasons Jamie wanted to leap into new experiences is because his father Simon was diagnosed with cancer last year. Jamie is exceptionally grateful that his dad has made a full recovery and the experience has left him looking to embrace as many adventures as possible. “Sadly, my dad has not been well with cancer,” says Jamie. “Things like that nudge you and you go, ‘You’ve got one life, just live it.’ There are going to be bad days, there are going to be plenty for all of us, so while things are good, just live it.” Not only did Jamie’s dad make a full recovery, he’s also celebrating becoming a grandfather for the first time after Jamie’s sister gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. For Jamie, becoming an uncle has been magical. “It’s all worked out fine but it could easily not have been,” he says. “Things could have swung the other way but thank God, it’s all worked out. We celebrate a new baby in the family and everything has come up roses in the end. It’s all good at the moment and when things are good, you’ve just got to enjoy them.”
Jamie looked a world away from Walford with Nancy on the set of Strictly Come Dancing
(Image: BBC/Guy Levy)
Saying “yes” to Strictly was the right move for Jamie and he loved every minute of the Christmas Day special. “I’ve absolutely loved it,” he says. “I’m on a bit of a downer now filming is over. We had such a good laugh and everyone at Strictly makes such a lovely team. It was a great experience to learn something new and Nancy’s such a great teacher. I’ve gained a special friend so it was a win-win all round.” Nancy gushed over Jamie, saying: “He’s amazing to work with and amazing to spend time with. Training with Jamie made me such a happy girl. It was like an early Christmas gift from Strictly. It would be amazing if he could join the show.” Now her dream has come true!Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnEastEndersStrictly Come DancingJamie Borthwick
