‘EastEnders' star suspended by BBC after using slur against disabled people on ‘Strictly' set
A video emerged of the actor, who plays Jay Brown on the soap, using the term to describe the people of Blackpool, the town where the show was being filmed.
Borthwick is said to have made the offensive remark in a phone video while the Strictly cast were at Blackpool Tower Ballroom last November.
A spokesperson for the BBC said: 'This language is entirely unacceptable and in no way reflects the values or standards we hold and expect at the BBC.
'We have robust processes in place for this.'
Warren Kirwan, media manager at disability equality charity Scope, said: 'Attitudes and language like this are never acceptable. It's not just ignorant and hurtful to disabled people, it has wider consequences.
'Negative attitudes hold disabled people back in all areas of life, from getting a job to shopping on the high street.
'Mr Borthwick needs to reflect on what he said, educate himself and do better.
'We hope he takes the opportunity to get to know the reality of disabled people's lives.'
Borthwick won the Strictly 2023 Christmas special with Nancy Xu, and won the best actor gong at the Inside Soap Awards in September that year, with the show recognised with the best storyline for Loving And Losing Lola, about character Lola Pearce-Brown's brain tumour diagnosis.
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