SHOCKING NEWS JUST DROPPED! EastEnders announces that actor Jamie Borthwick will have a fresh start in his return to the screen, with a new role replacing his previous character Jay Brown. The identity of the new character has now been disclosed!
EastEnders has delivered a heartbreaking development concerning Jay Brown after Jamie Borthwick’s departure from the show.
For nearly two decades, Jay Brown, portrayed by Jamie Borthwick, was a familiar face on Albert Square before his sudden departure last year, which left his teenage stepdaughter Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown) behind.
His final appearance saw him tending to Lexi’s shoelaces at the market in an August 2025 episode. The following month, it emerged that Jamie had been written out of the BBC drama.
Jay’s disappearance from the screen was attributed to him leaving Walford to look after an unwell relative. Come Christmas, viewers learned he was celebrating with a new partner.
Weeks later, his Albert Square family discovered that Jay’s new partner was expecting a baby. And during Monday’s instalment, the soap dropped another significant revelation, r
In emotional scenes, a distraught Lexi rushed into Phil Mitchell’s (Steven McFadden) home. When a worried Phil enquired about the situation, Callum Highway (Tony Clay) filled him in. He revealed: “Jay phoned this morning, said he’s put the car lot up for sale.” Callum continued: “I think it’s starting to finally hit home that he ain’t coming back.”
Back in September, The Mirror disclosed that Jamie would not be reprising his role, three months following a suspension over allegations he used an offensive term about disabled individuals.
BBC Studios, the production company responsible for the East London-based drama, confirmed: “We can confirm that Jamie Borthwick will not be returning to EastEnders. We do not comment on individual matters.”
News of the suspension surfaced in June, half a year after Jamie’s appearance on Strictly Come Dancing 2024. The alleged incident occurred during the BBC ballroom show’s live transmission recorded at Blackpool Tower Ballroom throughout the 22nd series.
In a statement released in July, Jamie said: “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.”
A brief statement provided to Radio Times by a BBC Studios spokesperson read: “We confirm that Jamie Borthwick will not be returning to EastEnders. We do not comment on personal matters.”
Borthwick, who played Jay Brown in the long-running television series since 2006, was suspended in June after a video surfaced showing him using derogatory language toward people with disabilities during his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing.
In the video, filmed at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom, Borthwick is recorded saying: “By the way, Blackpool. You bastards.”
Jamie Borthwick as Jay Brown in EastEnders, wearing a red polo shirt and smiling forward.
At the time, the BBC issued a statement in response to The Sun, which read: “This language is completely unacceptable and does not reflect any of the values or standards we uphold and expect at the BBC. We have rigorous processes in place to handle this matter.”
In turn, Borthwick apologized in a separate statement to the newspaper: “I want to sincerely and genuinely apologize for the words I used in the video showing my reaction to passing the Blackpool round on Strictly. I deeply regret any offense and hurt that my words and actions may have caused.”
“I have no excuse, but I did not fully understand the meaning and offensiveness of the words I used. It was entirely my fault. Now that I am aware of it, I am deeply ashamed of having used those words and directed them in that way. It was wrong.”