EastEnders' Jamie Borthwick suspended by BBC after using disabled slur while filming Strictly in Blackpool

Jamie Borthwick, 30, who plays Jay Brown in the BBC soap opera, is said to have made the offensive remark against people with disabilities on a phone video while the Strictly cast were at Blackpool Tower Ballroom last November.

As first reported by The Sun, the 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.

In it, he was seen using an offensive term to describe disabled people in Blackpool, the seaside town where the show was being filmed for its annual special.

The Gazette and it’s sister site the Lancashire Evening Post have chosen not to name the word.

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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.”

In his statement to the Sun on Sunday, Borthwick said: "I want to apologise sincerely and wholeheartedly for the words I used in the video showing my reaction to making it through Blackpool week on Strictly.”

He added: "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."

Blackpool Conservative group leader Councillor Paul Galley said he was ‘appalled and deeply disappointed’ by the use of language.

He said: “I am appalled and deeply disappointed by the reported use of a deeply offensive and outdated disability slur to describe the people of Blackpool.

“Such language is completely unacceptable in any context-let alone when referring to a proud, diverse, and welcoming community like ours.”

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He added: “Words matter, and the use of such derogatory terms is not only hurtful to people with disabilities, but also profoundly disrespectful to the residents of Blackpool. Blackpool is a town known for its resilience, warmth, and inclusivity and I am proud to call it home.”

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.

It is unclear how long his suspension is for or if he will be allowed to return to the BBC show.