EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick returns to soap just three months after ban for shocking disability slur video
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
EASTENDERS star Jamie Borthwick is returning to the soap just three months after being suspended for a shocking disability slur — sparking concern from campaigners.
The actor, who plays Jay Brown in the show, got an Albert Square ban in June after The Sun on Sunday revealed a video of him using a severely derogatory term.
Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter
Sign up
5
Jamie Borthwick is set to return to EastEnders, to the dismay of disability campaigners
Credit: ISO
5
Borthwick was suspended after using a derogatory term to insult the people of Blackpool
Credit: PA
The clip saw him describe the people of Blackpool as 'absolute m********s' while there for last year's Strictly live show.
Now, amid news of his return to EastEnders next month, disability charity Scope has called for Borthwick, 31, to undergo 'awareness training.'
The charity's Dr Shani Dhanda, an EastEnders fan, said: 'What shocked me most about this story is the character Jamie plays in the show often appears alongside another character called Janet who has Down syndrome.
'His character was even her stepdad at one point.
'He didn't say the word directly to a disabled person, but even still language is so important.'
Meanwhile, the quick return also sparked outrage in Blackpool.
Paul Galley, leader of Blackpool Council's Tories, said 'I am today publicly inviting Jamie to return to Blackpool with me — to meet members of our community, hear first-hand how his words caused hurt, and apologise in person.
'The BBC lifting his suspension without any visible act of contrition beyond a statement sends a worrying message celebrities can offend, apologise, and carry on without real consequence.'
A BBC spokesperson said: 'Whilst we do not comment on any individual matter, each case is always considered on its own facts.
'We are very clear on our expectations that inappropriate behaviour and language will not be tolerated.'
Borthwick's Enders return comes just two weeks after was seen out ready to head to an Oasis gig with his co-star Natalie Cassidy, above.
He apologised over the incident in June, claiming he did 'not fully understand' the term he had used.
5
The actor was spotted attending an Oasis concert during his recent suspension
Credit: Eroteme
5
He was joined at the gig by EastEnders co-star Natalie Cassidy
Credit: ISO
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
44 minutes ago
- Leader Live
YouTube star and EastEnders actress among first batch of Strictly contestants
The popular BBC dancing show, hosted by Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, will return to TV screens in September with a new host of famous faces competing each week to win the glitterball trophy. Podcast host and YouTube star George Clarke was announced as the sixth celebrity contestant on Tuesday during BBC Radio 1's Going Home drivetime show. Clarke, also known as George Clarkey, said: 'Never thought I'd say this … but I'm doing Strictly! Honestly, I've got no idea what I'm doing but I'm excited to get stuck in … and potentially fall over a fair bit.' It comes after EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopal was revealed as a contestant during a segment filmed live from Albert Square on ITV's Good Morning Britain (GMB). She said that 'being on Strictly is a dream that I held on to, with no proof that it would ever happen'. The other stars confirmed to be competing are Love Island winner Dani Dyer, Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Doctor Who actress Alex Kingston and former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Speaking on The One Show after her reveal, Dyer, who is the daughter of actor Danny Dyer, said: 'It's such a fun magical show – to be asked to do it is such an honour. 'I just can't wait to be able to wear (the costumes) – it's going to be so much fun.' A post shared by BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) Former Chelsea footballer Hasselbaink said: 'I'm a father of only girls and Strictly is a part of our home life – I like the show. Let's have a go.' Actress Kingston, who interrupted her holiday in Italy to speak to hosts Alex Scott and Roman Kemp, joked: 'I was super excited but now I'm terrified.' Aikines-Aryeetey, known as Nitro on the rebooted Gladiators, previously competed in last year's Strictly Christmas Special and described his decision to return on Monday as 'so nice I just had to do it twice'. In July, the BBC announced that two 'incredible' new professional dancers, US-born Alexis Warr and Australian dancer Julian Caillon, would be joining the show. Daly and Winkleman will return as presenters with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas on the judges' table. Strictly will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this September.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Alex Kingston makes first Strictly statement as Doctor Who star confirmed for BBC show
Alex Kingston has shared with her fans some of her dancing moves after the BBC confirmed that the Doctor Who actress will join the cast for this year's Strictly Come Dancing. Posting a video of herself practicing some footwork on Monday (11 August), the 62-year-old actor sung the show's theme tune before looking at the camera and saying: "Strictly… just dancing.' In the post's caption, she wrote: 'Hello sweeties… Spoilers are out! I'm getting ready to shake my hips all the way to a glitter ball trophy. Strictly 2025 here I come!!' Kingston was the second celebrity announced as part of the this year's cast for the hit dancing show, which returns to screens Autumn 2025.
Times
3 hours ago
- Times
Michelle Collins: ‘The death of my school friend changed my life'
Michelle Collins, who's in Edinburgh with her Fringe show, Motorhome Marilyn, is best known for playing Cindy Beale in EastEnders. It's a dark comedy about a woman called Denise who went to America to seek fame and fortune and ends up as a Marilyn impersonator. She is an obsessive Marilyn fan and also lives in a motorhome, hence the title. She has a very lonely existence in Las Vegas, living with her pet python, and has been Marilyn for so long she is not quite sure who Denise is any more. Port Logan, where I spent three summers filming Two Thousand Acres of Sky (even though the series was set on a fictional island off Skye). It was probably the most enjoyable filming I've ever done. Port Logan is a tiny village next to Portpatrick with, I think, a population then of only about 20 people. Just beautiful. In the height of summer I remember it not getting dark until so late, and sometimes you could see the northern lights. I love the beautiful, rugged landscape of Scotland; I feel a real affinity with the country. I also filmed Sea of Souls with Bill Paterson right up in northern Scotland, near Durness. It was a really hot summer and there were caves right on the beach. When the weather is good, Scotland is the best place in the world. The beaches were so beautiful and it was quite spooky because it was about a psychic criminologist and that part of Scotland in the north is quite spooky — I even stayed in a haunted hotel and saw a ghost. Mother India's café in Edinburgh, an amazing Indian tapas restaurant near the Gilded Balloon, where I am performing this year. There were also some fantastic fish restaurants in Portpatrick: I remember getting my first deep-fried Mars bar there. I'm partial to vegetarian haggis. • The 15 best restaurants in Edinburgh — our critic's guide Intense, kind, scatty. Charlie George. I used to have big posters of the Arsenal football team, especially when they did the double in the early Seventies. I still support them now. The train up to Glasgow, then driving down along the coastline to Stranraer and on to Portpatrick and Port Logan. That I was in Baywatch. I had dinner with someone once and they asked me if I still had that red swimming costume. Apparently, Wikipedia says I was in it. I wasn't. Never send an email on a Monday morning. Always sit on it. • Paul Sinha: I dodged an early death. It changes your perspective My great-grandma, Granny Bowen. My sister and I lived with her and my grandad for about a year when we were children, when I was about 11. I didn't like living out in Hayes, Middlesex — it felt like the back of beyond. I used to do everything I could to wind them up. She used to call me a little minx. David Essex, David Cassidy, David Bowie — all the Davids. I'm not sure if this is just my mind playing tricks with me, but I remember being in a huge pram (a big perambulator — I was a Sixties baby). Apparently, I threw eggs out of it and someone went into the butcher's shop where I was parked outside, and said to my mum: 'Your little baby boy is throwing eggs outside.' My mum didn't care about the eggs but she told them: 'That's not a boy, that's a girl!' I was in a TV show called The Illustrated Mum, which was adapted from a Jacqueline Wilson book. My agent didn't really want me to do it, but I wanted to because I loved the book. I loved playing the character, Marigold. It did really well — it won Baftas and an International Emmy. And I had a very memorable experience going to New York with Jacqueline Wilson. I was presented with the Emmy by Lenny Kravitz. • Miriam Margolyes: 'They call me vile. I'm absolutely delightful' I have very fond memories of going to see Oliver! with my mum when I was a kid. We saw it loads of times and every time I see it on TV now I feel an overwhelming sense of warmth and nostalgia. It still makes me cry. Also, The Sound of Music. Meeting a girl called Kate Healy. I was about 14, she was 15. We had very, very different lives; she had much more of a privileged life than I did. I would say she was more middle class, I was working class from a single-parent family. Sadly, Kate died when she was 16 — I was devastated. She had a cousin who was an actress who then helped me to audition for drama school. In many ways Kate really changed my life. Michelle Collins is performing in Motorhome Marilyn at Gilded Balloon Patter House until Aug 25 (not 13),
