Eastenders star Jamie Borthwick has reportedly signed up for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The 30-year-old actor is reportedly preparing to lace up his dancing shoes for the BBC competition, which kicks off in September, having gotten a taste of the sport last year when he won the Christmas special alongside professional dancer Nancy Xu.
According to The sunhe hopes to follow in the footsteps of Bobby Brazier, who narrowly lost out to former Coronation Street star Ellie Leach in last year’s Strictly final.
A source said: ‘Although Strictly has had an EastEnders actor guest star every year, this is the first time an artist from the festive special has gone straight into the competition.
‘Producers and viewers were blown away by Jamie’s dancing skills.
Eastenders star Jamie Borthwick has reportedly signed up for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing (pictured with dancer Nancy Xu during the 2023 Strictly Christmas Special)
A source told The Sun that while an EastEnders actor appears on Strictly every year, ‘this is the first time an artist has gone straight into the competition for the festive special’
‘It is not yet clear whether he will take a break from the soap, or whether he will combine dance rehearsals with scenes for the soap.’
MailOnline has contacted the BBC for comment.
Jamie, who has starred in the soap for 18 years, could join other celebrities including Nicola Roberts, Dave Fishwick, Chris McCausland, Gladiator Nitro, Coronation Street actress Helen Worth, Olympian Laura Kenny and 80s icon Toyah Willcox.
Strictly Come Dancing has been plagued by scandals recently, as complaints have been raised about professional Giovanni Pernice.
A male celebrity has reportedly joined the group of women who have filed complaints about his behaviour during their appearance on Strictly Come Dancing.
Last month it was confirmed that three women, including Amanda Abbington, had hired lawyers from leading London law firm Carter Ruck at an hourly rate of £700 to bring claims against Giovanni and the BBC.
The BBC has launched an investigation after the dancer (33) was accused of “threatening and abusive behaviour” while working with Amanda (52), Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir Singh (46) and former Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore (39) on the show – something he strongly denies.
Despite all the commotion, judge Shirley Ballas has backed the embattled professional and will be joining him for a series of dance classes in London this month.
The actor is said to have impressed producers and blown away viewers with his performance in last year’s Christmas special
Jamie, who has been on the soap for 18 years, plays Jay Mitchell and it is not yet known whether he will take a break from the soap or combine dance rehearsals with filming.
Strictly has been plagued by scandal in recent times, as the series has received a number of complaints about professional Giovanni Pernice (pictured with his dance partner Amanda Abbington in October 2023)
Despite all the commotion, head judge Shirley Ballas has backed the embattled professional and will be joining him for a series of dance classes in London this month
The one-day event is called Ballando and is led by Shirley, Giovanni and Anton Du Beke, who share their expertise with fans.
In the latest twist to the bitter legal battle, the anonymous star, who worked with Giovanni during his time on the show, is said to have shared his experiences with the law firm.
“After three women came forward, a man has now joined their ranks. He has personally reached out to the women at the heart of this unfolding crisis, offering them his support and full backing,” a source said. The sun.
“He also had contact with Carter Ruck and told them what he knew and shared his experiences. These experiences were sometimes very difficult.”
Giovanni has defended himself by hiring rival law firm Schillings. His case is being handled by Joelle Rich, 39, who represented Johnny Depp in his 2020 defamation case.