Jamie Borthwick, the actor who played Jay Brown on BBC soap EastEnders for nearly two decades, will not return to the programme after being suspended earlier this year for using a derogatory term while competing on Strictly Come Dancing.
A spokesperson for BBC Studios said Friday: "We can confirm that Jamie Borthwick will not be returning to EastEnders. We do not comment on individual matters." The decision follows a video obtained by The Sun on Sunday in which Borthwick appears to use a slur to describe residents of Blackpool during Strictly's filming.
Borthwick, 31, who joined EastEnders in 2006 as a child actor, was suspended from the soap earlier this year after the footage emerged. He apologised at the time, saying he did not "fully understand the derogatory term" and that he was "deeply embarrassed" by his words. BBC representatives have said that inappropriate behaviour and language will not be tolerated and that each case is considered on its own facts.
Disability campaigners and local politicians reacted strongly when the clip surfaced. Shani Dhanda of the charity Scope said it was particularly striking because the character Borthwick played frequently appeared alongside a character with Down syndrome. The Conservative leader of Blackpool Council called on the actor to apologise in person for any hurt caused and criticised what he described as the BBC's handling of the suspension.
The episode was only the most recent controversy to overshadow Borthwick. Reporting in May alleged he had been involved in overlapping relationships, with two former partners claiming he cheated on them with a third woman. According to newspaper accounts, Borthwick had been in a relationship with Chloe Strand since March of the previous year while also seeing another woman from around August, and a third woman, model Jordan Dwyer, later said she had been misled for months. Those reports said one of the other women believed Borthwick had discussed a shared future with her, introduced her to friends and family, and given her keys to a new property, while allegedly making separate holiday plans with another partner.
Separately, footage obtained by the same newspaper in April showed Borthwick and fellow Strictly contestant Wynne Evans in a backstage clip in which a novelty sex toy sent to Borthwick was displayed. The clip prompted a reprimand from BBC executives, who told the performers they needed to act professionally. A source close to BBC management described the content as "immature and inappropriate" for a family show and said bosses were alarmed after the video circulated more widely.
Borthwick had been one of EastEnders' longest-serving cast members and earned industry recognition during his tenure. He won a British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor in 2008 and took the Inside Soap Awards' Best Actor prize in 2023. The actor's role as Jay Brown made him a regular presence in the show's fictional borough of Walford for nearly two decades.
BBC statements around the time of the suspension indicated the corporation treats such incidents seriously but declined to provide detailed commentary about personnel decisions. Initial reports in July said Borthwick would return to work after a three-month suspension, despite public calls for him to undergo "awareness training." The organisation later confirmed he would not resume his role.
The combination of the offensive language, the sexualised backstage footage and the allegations about his private life prompted renewed scrutiny of Borthwick's conduct on and off camera. Representatives for Borthwick did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
Producers of EastEnders did not disclose details about how the character's departure will be handled on-screen. The soap has previously written characters out for a range of reasons, and the BBC said staffing matters are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Borthwick's exit marks the end of a long-running association with EastEnders and follows a wider debate within broadcasting about standards of behaviour by public figures, how organisations should respond to misconduct, and the consequences for performers whose off-screen actions attract public condemnation.