EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick has revealed he received some unusual advice ahead of his stint on Strictly Come Dancing.
Best known for playing Jay Brown on the long-running BBC soap, the actor is now preparing to strap on his dancing shoes as he swaps Albert Square for the Strictly ballroom.
During an interview with Digital Spy and other journalists, Borthwick revealed several of his EastEnders co-stars have offered up words of wisdom.
Related: Best streaming services in 2024
"Everyone's just said it will be fantastic, and I will really enjoy it and so far, that's all it's been, just fun and really enjoyable," Borthwick said, adding: "We’re all really getting along so, so far, so good."
However, the most unexpected advice came from EastEnders star Scott Maslen, who was a contestant on Strictly himself back in 2010.
What to Read Next
"Scott Maslen just said to eat everything," the soap star remarked of the Jack Branning actor.
Related: Janette Manrara addresses Strictly partner's 'life-changing' injury complaint
The 2024 season of Strictly will mark Borthwick's second time on the BBC dance show after he competed in and won the 2023 Christmas special.
The actor was previously paired with pro dancer Nancy Xu and the two impressed the judges, achieving a perfect score of 40 for their Quickstep to ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’.
Announcing his Strictly return earlier this year, the actor admitted he was keen to take to the dance floor again.
"I had a ball doing the Strictly Christmas special last year, so when I was asked to join for this series, it was the easiest yes!" he said. "This is a fresh challenge, and it will be so different to be learning a new dance every week and for the public to have their say.
Related: Strictly Come Dancing confirms 2025 Professionals live tour axed
"I’m hoping to be Salsa-ing around Albert Square in no time, and I’ll be asking my Walford Strictly alumni for some words of wisdom. See you on the dancefloor!"
Despite the dance rehearsals the actor has confirmed he will not be stepping down from EastEnders to fulfil his Strictly commitments.
"I'm not taking a break no," Borthwick told OK!. "I'm still there so I'm doing both shows but we're lucky - EastEnders is literally filmed across the road, there's not far to go and I've just budgeted that I'm going to be a bit N/A for the next however long."
Strictly Come Dancing will return on Saturday, September 14 on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Interested in talking about Strictly? Visit our dedicated sub-forum
Read more Strictly news on our dedicated homepage
News Editor, Digital Spy
Emma is an experienced entertainment news journalist with NCTJ accreditation and a First-Class Honours Degree in Journalism. Having started her career as a broadcast journalist, Emma’s voice has been heard on varying radio stations across the UK including Absolute, Magic, BBC Three Counties Radio, LBC London News and more.
Later specialising in multimedia entertainment news, Emma has brushed shoulders with numerous famous faces and interviewed the likes of Edward Norton, Margot Robbie, Sir Michael Palin, Rick Astley, and too many soap stars to count. Having produced a range of engaging news content over the years for brands such as 7Digital’s Entertainment News, Yahoo, and Express Online, Emma eventually joined Digital Spy in 2022 as Deputy News Editor, becoming Acting News Editor in 2023 and then News Editor in 2024.
While she’s gained lots of praise during celebrity interviews throughout her career, the most memorable compliment Emma’s ever received was when a Game of Thrones star remarked "Your teeth are stunning!". LinkedIn
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
