
EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick makes a last-gasp bid to clean up his act after disabled slur scandal and BBC suspension
EASTENDERS star Jamie Borthwick is set to save his BBC career after 'sincerely apologising' for his behaviour and making a last-gasp bid to clean up his act.
The star accepted the 'karma that has come my way' after his sickening disabled slur led to his suspension.
5
5
5
He is booked in for high-level talks with corporation bosses and there is a growing belief he could eventually continue in his role as Jay Brown in Albert Square.
It comes after the 30-year-old was suspended following The Sun on Sunday's revelation last weekend that he blurted out the hurtful term 'm********s' while on the Strictly Come Dancing set.
Jamie used the offensive phrase to pour scorn on Blackpool, which is seen as the jewel in each series of the BBC 's prime-time family show.
As part of his bid to save his acting career, he this week sent a heartfelt message to a former partner, conceding it was 'not clear' if he'd be returning to EastEnders.
But he told how the circumstances had given him time to reflect on 'decisions that have led me here'.
Jamie said: 'I accept the karma that has come my way due to some bad choices.'
He went on to say he is 'attempting to right the wrongs in my life', and 'want to sincerely apologise for the mistakes I made and for hurting you and how I handled the whole situation'.
And he added: 'Had I the opportunity to turn the clock back I would do so and do everything differently.'
The Sun told how Jamie issued the vile video while standing alongside GoCompare opera singer Wynne Evans.
Moment Jamie Borthwick is seen waving up at Jordan in the audience
The duo were in Blackpool for week nine of the Strictly TV series show in November last year when Jamie sent the obscene footage to a pal.
The EastEnders star, who joined the soap in 2006, said in a public apology: 'I am deeply sorry for any offence and upset my words and actions have caused.
'It is no excuse, but I did not fully understand the derogatory term I used and its meaning. That is on me completely. Now I am aware, I am deeply embarrassed to have used the term and directed it in the way I did. It was wrong.
'When I made the video, I was excited and caught up in the moment. Again, that is no excuse. But my regrettable actions are not a true reflection of my views, or who I am.
'I enjoyed every minute of my time in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom and the town itself.
"The people of Blackpool have always been amazing with the Strictly crew, dancers and cast members. I know they will be again for this year's show and those in years to come. I am truly sorry.'
The BBC said his language was 'entirely unacceptable and in no way reflects the values or standards we hold and expect'.
Disability charity Scope said Borthwick should reflect on what he said and educate himself. "We hope he takes the opportunity to get to know the reality of disabled people's lives,' said the organisation's media manager Warren Kirwan.
In April, The Sun told how Jamie and Wynne were rapped by BBC bosses for sharing a backstage joke over a sex toy video when the Strictly tour was in Birmingham.
A source told us last night: "Jamie has been reaching out to people off his own back and trying to sort his life out once and for all. He is genuinely remorseful. He's a young man with his acting career stretching out ahead of him.
"He will be forced to stay at home for a while and acknowledge his misdemeanours. A lesson is being learned. But it's good news for fans that there is a good chance that we haven't seen the last of Jamie in Albert Square."
5
5
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scottish Sun
26 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Ukrainian TV chef reveals her mum's heartbreaking last act before being forced out of family home by Russian invaders
Olia Hercules, a London-based chef and writer who was born in Kakhovka in southern Ukraine, shares harrowing accounts of the agonies of her homeland MY TORMENT Ukrainian TV chef reveals her mum's heartbreaking last act before being forced out of family home by Russian invaders MUM and Dad had a good life. Their house was by a bank of the river Dnipro in the south of Ukraine. Huge golden sunflower fields stretching as far as the eye can see, as hot as the Mediterranean, and just a 50-mile drive from the Crimean peninsula and the Black Sea. 8 Olia Hercules, pictured at home in London, reveals her Ukrainian family's plight in her memoir Credit: Olivia West 8 Olia's parents, Petro and Olga, drove for days to escape the Russian invasion Credit: Olia Hercules They planted an orchard and Dad dug out a pond that he filled with carp and sturgeon. I would visit with my British husband Joe and our children at least twice a year, the last time being August 2021. There are photos of my big extended family having a barbecue on Ukraine's Independence Day, my younger son Wilfred eating a peach the size of his head, juice dripping all over his chin and belly. There is a video of my Joe laughing with my dad, brother and cousins, my father telling Ukrainian dad jokes using a mixture of broken English and expressive gestures. He is such a good actor. Just six months later he would use those acting skills again. But this time it wasn't a family comedy but a scene straight out of an apocalyptic movie. My mum and dad were escaping as Russia's full-scale invasion of my homeland reached their front door, and I ordered him to play dumb. 'If the Russians stop you,' I said, 'Pretend to be an idiot. Do not argue, do not show emotion.' The Russians drove their tanks into Kakhovka on the first day of the invasion on February 22, 2022. My parents and other locals went to protest every day in the centre of town. But eventually the invaders started shooting into the crowd. Torture chambers Then my dad received a phone call. A man with a sharp Russian accent demanded that he give up the keys to his and mum's businesses (Mum ran a small B&B in town). The Russian barked: 'We also know that your son joined the Ukrainian Territorial Army. Tell him to put down his arms, or else.' Dad — headstrong and courageous as he is — completely ignored my instructions and said something like: 'Over my dead body.' The Russian made it clear that he should be careful what he wished for. I freaked out when Mum told me this and urged them to leave. We have all seen reports that the Russians set up special 'basements' all over the occupied regions. 8 For basements, read torture chambers. I wish I was exaggerating, but I am not. People started disappearing in Ukraine's occupied areas. My own brother, Sasha, was defending Kyiv with other ex-civilians — people from all walks of life. In his regiment there was a baker, an IT guy, an actor and a builder. Sasha later told me how they were stuck on one side of the river Irpin near Kyiv, only a thousand of them or so — and on the other were 15,000 of Putin's Chechen henchmen. They were lucky, my brother told me — the weather and Russia's poor logistics organisation meant that not only did he and the others survive, but they were able to repel the attack and save the capital. Only a few months ago, Sasha admitted to me that shrapnel had grazed against his thigh. Not everyone was so lucky. At home in London, I was freaking out. Strong Roots OLIA HERCULES is a London-based chef and writer who was born in Kakhovka in southern Ukraine. She has published four cookbooks and this week releases a memoir, Strong Roots: A Ukrainian Family Story Of War, Exile and Hope. A regular on TV's Saturday Kitchen, she co-founded #CookForUkraine – a global initiative to raise money for the war-torn country. Parents under occupation, brother in Irpin, and then the news about what happened in Bucha, very close to where my brother was located. Bucha was liberated, and soon it became evident just how many civilians the Russians had killed — mass graves and all manner of other horrors. I lost my mind and shouted down the phone to my mum for them to leave until they finally relented. They grabbed two suitcases — one with clothes, another with family photographs, letters and Mum's hand-stitched embroideries. They dug any valuables they had into the ground, in case they would return in the future, and they drove. But not before my mum scrubbed the whole house until it shined. It was one of the most heartbreaking things for me to hear — and for my mum to tell — how she tidied up her house before they left, imagining how a Russian woman might move into it and remark on how tidy everything was. 8 Petro at a yard in Ukraine with the tractor he is converting into a minesweeper Credit: Olia Hercules 8 Olia's dad in the kitchen with her eldest son Sasha Credit: Olia Hercules Ukrainians take huge pride in keeping their homes cosy and beautiful. Just like here in the UK, our home is our castle. My other family and friends followed them a day later. They had to break through 19 Russian checkpoints and witnessed craters as big as the moon's, left by artillery and missiles. Mum and Dad drove for five days through Europe, a difficult thing at the best of times, and even harder given that Dad suffers from Parkinson's tremors. They went to stay with my cousins in Berlin. But within the first two months, Dad decided he couldn't do it. 'I will die from inaction and depression here, Olia. I am going back,' he told me. Mum was so broken, she did not go with him. She said she could not imagine living in Ukraine while Kakhovka was occupied, while Russians lived in her home. Planning to reunite To explain the severity of their separation, my mum and dad met at primary school. They are both 67 and they had known each other for 60 years already, and been married for 50. My dad is in Ukraine now, and Kakhovka is still occupied by the Russians. It is a ghost town and is pummelled by Russians on a regular basis (they use old Soviet launchers that are not exactly precise, so when they try to shoot at a town on the front line, it can fall anywhere). Russian FSB officers moved into my parents' beautiful home. Dad found out his factory warehouse was used to house Russian tanks, so he told Ukrainian intelligence the coordinates. When Russia invaded, mum and dad went into town every day to protest. Eventually the invaders started shooting the crowd Olia Hercules After careful reconnaissance and making sure that it was safe to do so, the Ukrainian army hit it and destroyed the tanks, along with my dad's warehouse. I am sure Dad is heartbroken about his life's work being turned into rubble, but he told me he had no regrets. He is now with his sister and nephew in another unoccupied region of Ukraine. Ukraine is now the most mined country in the world, so Dad is using his engineering skills to convert an old tractor into a driverless minesweeper. Mum is still in Berlin, but she is planning to reunite with Dad next year. She has accepted they may have lost their home forever, and started entertaining the idea to start anew in another part of Ukraine. 8 Olia, back left, cuddling Sasha at a family dinner Credit: Olia Hercules 8 Ingredients for a delicious spread Credit: Olia Hercules This is because, unlike in the 1990s after independence, Ukrainians do not want to live elsewhere. Everyone just wants to be back home. My parents want to be within their community, speaking their own language. They crave the south Ukrainian sunshine, they want to dig around in their garden, they want us to visit them there, to clink glasses and eat delicious food, and to tell silly jokes. For my youngest Wilfred, five, and my older son Sasha, 13, to run around and gorge themselves on massive peaches. It's because of this love — love of a country that people like my dad and mum worked so hard to build — that I know we will not stop fighting. As English author G.K. Chesterton said: 'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' But you don't need to be a soldier to fight. My weapon is my pen and my ability to translate our human experience to people in the UK through my cookbooks, which are full of snippets of my family history and now, hopefully, through the family memoir I have written. Rebuild and flourish It has been incredible to receive so much support, because people knew me and trusted me. Within a week of the war starting, I had been able to raise enough money to supply ballistic vests and helmets, boots and even ballistic underwear, and to get it delivered just a day before my brother and 105 people in his regiment went into battle. I will never forget this generosity of the British, the post-war spirit and the Keep Calm And Carry On philosophy which is so keenly adopted by everyone in Ukraine. War news fatigue is real — I get it. It is not easy to keep looking at the horrific news, at the distressing headlines. But with 'peace talks' looming, I hope people do not forget that what the media call 'territories' are not faceless dots on the map. They are places that still hold our homes, our memories and our people. Not everyone was able to leave like my parents did. I have plenty of friends and family who had to stay behind, to look after the 'unmovable' — the elderly or ill parents or even neighbours. People started disappearing. My brother was defending Kyiv. My father's life was threatened. Mass graves, all manner of horrors. I lost my mind and shouted down the phone for them to leave Olia Hercules If those areas are given to Russia, the war will not cease for them. Like other places that Putin grabbed over the years — Abkhazia and Ossetia in the Caucasus, East Ukraine and Crimea — they will become 'grey zones', internationally unrecognised, with no life and no future. One thing my parents and my grandparents taught me was to never give up, and to never give up hope. I will be honest, it has been very up and down. But even on the lowest day I know that Ukrainians will never relent, and will never give up the fight, and the hope that we will return, rebuild and flourish. As my late grandmother used to say: 'Always look at the roots. If the roots are strong, it doesn't matter if the wind blows off the pretty petals. 'If the roots are strong, it doesn't matter if a storm breaks the fragile stem. 'It will all grow back again.' Strong Roots: A Ukrainian Family Story Of War, Exile And Hope, by Olia Hercules, is out on Thursday.


The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
I had affair with married man 20 years older & was branded a home wrecker – if Louis Tomlinson was a woman he'd be too
WHEN Soccer Aid kicked off tonight, all eyes should have been on the football pitch. Instead, attention and speculation has been swirling around the love triangle between Zara McDermott, Sam Thompson and Louis Tomlinson. 7 In a very awkward line-up, love rivals Sam and Louis were supposed to be playing on the same England team during the big charity match for Unicef against a World XI Then, in a last-minute curveball on Friday, Sam pulled out, citing injury. Given that he recently completed a 260-mile marathon over five days for Unicef, you could say it's not surprising he had an injury. Sam had been determined to take part in the match even after his gruelling marathon, telling his This Morning colleague Alison Hammond: 'I'm still very sore, still got the torn calf. However, I am here at Soccer Aid HQ and it does not get better than this.' But you can't help feeling he was sore in more ways than one — and it's his feelings that have really been injured. I can't imagine being in such close proximity to a love rival. I'd avoid it at all costs. And we all know there is no such thing as 'letting bygones be bygones'. But when Love Islander Zara 's ex-partner Sam and current boyfriend Louis were pictured in training last week, it was all macho smiles, back-slapping and in Sam's words 'no hard feelings'. If One Direction singer Louis was a woman, he wouldn't get such an easy ride. Romantic getaways This display of male solidarity highlighted the double standards in society. I don't need to look far to imagine how the narrative would have played out if these two were women. Sam would be the victim and Louis would be dragged across hot coals, regardless of whether or not there had been a crossover between the two relationships. No matter how long they left it before starting their romance, fingers would be pointed and the new woman would somehow be to blame for the break-up. I know, as I've had the 'homewrecker' label chucked at me while my lover faced little criticism. Not a word has been said against Louis, as far as I can see. And despite the whole world knowing that Louis got the girl, Sam is determined not to lose face. The I'm A Celebrity winner did his best happy-go-lucky impression, showboating and grinning his way through training for Soccer Aid and pretending he didn't care that his ex's new lover was there. I was 'mistress' of a married man so wife's pals harassed me. Emma Woolf It is the blokey thing to do — they don't want to appear the loser in the game of love. They use every macho weapon in the arsenal to avoid denting their pride. They pretend they don't mind that their best mate copped off with the girl they had fancied for years, or a cousin had a fling with their wife when they were going through a rocky patch. 7 7 But Sam and Zara, who split in January, were together for more than five years. Deep down, like anyone else whose long-term partner has moved on so quickly and so publicly, it must burn. Zara was pictured with Louis by March and they were official soon after. At first, many dismissed her new relationship with the singer. But there's no doubt it is for real — and things are hotting up. Louis has been flying Zara around the world on a series of romantic getaways. On Thursday night she was sharing pictures of her home-made 'creamy salmon pasta' with Louis' guitar visible in the background. You wouldn't blame Sam if he was feeling devastated, betrayed and angry. The public aspect of this heartbreak adds a whole new level of humiliation. And you can only imagine how Sam felt at the training camp — in the changing room, in team pep-talks and at dinner with Louis, whom Zara is now obviously heads-over-heels for, with all their team-mates well aware of the situation. His injury has come at a convenient time, as it saves him the humiliation of having the world's media pore over their every glance or backslap during the match. Sam and Louis seem to have assumed they could swagger through. Emma Woolf If this were two women, one would be the sinner, her reputation dragged through the mud. The trolls would be out in force, calling her a trashy slut and trawling through her dating history, regardless of whether there was any actual overlap. I remember the reaction to Kristina Rihanoff taking up with her Strictly partner Ben Cohen, with the pro Russian dancer insisting they got together after Ben split from his wife Abby. She was called a homewrecker and there were calls for her to be axed from the show, but Kristina called out the double standards. In 2005, when Hollywood's golden couple Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston split, everyone took sides. His new lover Angelina Jolie was crucified in public as the most predatory, husband-stealing female alive — even though at the time, Brad and Jolie had not confirmed whether their relationship had started before or after he broke up with Aniston. Whether you were for Jen or Ange was a defining cultural moment. And yet Brad Pitt, who was the married one (not Angelina) escaped with his reputation intact, if not bolstered. Once again, double standards. I know what it feels like to be on the receiving end, having had an affair with a married man 20 years my senior. And I can tell you it's always the woman's fault. As the much younger, single 'mistress' I was insulted and harassed by friends of the wife, whereas my married lover just got gentle warnings from his mates. Blokey banter Despite the fact I'd told him I would not get involved with him while he was with his wife, the blame was cast squarely on me, not him. Although there's no evidence of any overlap between Zara's two relationships, and no proof of infidelity, the gap between her two men wasn't exactly respectful. Women are made to feel so much shame that the idea of encountering your love rival face to face is excruciating. Sam and Louis seem to have assumed it would be fine, they could swagger their way through. No woman would have had the gall to be in the same public space as their lover's recent ex. Female love rivals tend to avoid, and spurn, each other, doing anything they can to dodge crossing paths. If I were Zara, I'd be squirming right now. There's nothing more embarrassing than the thought of your exes discussing you. Worse, the idea of them possibly comparing notes in the blokey banter of the football changing room. Timeline of Louis Tomlinson's love life Here we delve into Louis' love life since his rise to fame in One Direction. Hannah Walker - Louis' first girlfriend, who he dated in 2010. They split in 2011 as his band One Direction took off and the long distance romance was too much for them. Eleanor Calder - The pair dated on and off from 2011 to 2022. They were first photographed kissing at the London Olympic Games in 2012. Briana Jungwirth - Louis dated American Briana in 2015 and they have a son named Freddie, who was born in 2016. Sofie Nyvang - Louis was rumoured to be in a relationship with Danish model Sofie in February 2023. They split two months later in April 2023. Two women, trapped in the same awkward love triangle, wouldn't even have attempted to play on the same sports team. So while Zara squirms, we have one victor in this battle. Louis might have done the gentlemanly thing and withdrawn from the team, instead of Sam. He might have shown some humility, or sensitivity, when they met in the public glare. But all's fair in love and war, and for now he's the winner. Not only does he have Zara waiting at home for him, he's even got her creamy salmon pasta.


The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
Helen Flanagan strips down to sexy lingerie in sizzling shoot after splitting from boyfriend
HOT AS HEL Fans swooned over the stunning new lingerie snaps HELEN Flanagan has left fans with their jaws on the floor after stripping down to sexy lingerie. For a brand new sizzling shoot after spitting from her boyfriend, the former Coronation Street actress stripped off and almost bared all. 4 4 The 34-year-old mum of three shared the slew of glossy and sultry snaps on Sunday night. Sitting on some dark wooden floor panels, Helen leaned back as she posed up a storm for the camera. Wearing a stunning pink lingerie set, the blonde bombshell left little to the imagination as she showed off her sensational figure and slender curves. The lingerie set comprised of a nude and pink mesh plunge bra, a tiny thong and a matching suspender belt around her waist. She completed the sexy look with some blush pink sheer stockings. Helen kept her makeup in-keeping with the pastel theme and rocked a muted look. With fluffy brows, accentuated eyes and a pink glossy lip, Helen pouted up a storm and smized for the camera. "Always a pink girl," she penned in the caption which promoted her new lingerie collection. Fans went wild in the comments, with one person writing: "Absolutely stunning!!" Another swooned: "God your gorgeous Helen!" "Make the boys wink," said a third. "You are absolutely incredible Helen," gushed a fourth. A fifth then said: "Looking hot." And a sixth admitted: "I keep dropping my phone because of your posts." Helen recently split from Robbie Talbot after a year of dating. She told the ex sports ace things "weren't working" after a year together - and after initially saying she wanted his kids. Friends now say the mum of three instead now wants to concentrate on her career and family. A source told us: 'They want different things in life. She has just landed a new acting job and is trying to juggle work projects with the kids. "She sat him down two weeks ago and said, 'This isn't working'. It was a grown-up chat. 'She just wants to be on her own for a while although she still has feelings for him.' Helen split from Scott Sinclair, the dad of her three kids, in 2022.