EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick grew up on screen, having joined the cast of the soap at the age of 12 as troubled Jay Brown in December 2006. Now, the actor is embarking on one of the biggest challenges of his career as his fan-favourite character takes centre stage in a hard-hitting drug abuse storyline following the death of his beloved wife, Lola Pearce-Brown (Danielle Harold).
Here, in an exclusive interview, Jamie, 29, tells What To Watch about how Jay’s life spirals out of control and what the future might hold for the Walford car salesman…
Jay’s world has fallen apart since Lola passed away in May after being diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. How is he coping with his grief?
"Not very well. He’s not been sleeping and he’s finding it difficult to be in the flat. He’s been going out at night for walks to try to make himself tired. He initially started taking drugs to help him sleep, but now he’s become a bit reliant on them. We haven’t seen that fully play out yet, but it’s going to be interesting to watch. He goes down a bit of a dark path."
Struggling to deal with Lola’s death, this week sees Jay make a decision that leaves him fighting for his life. How does this story unfold?
"After Lola’s funeral, we kind of left that whole storyline for a while and the feedback I’ve had from viewers is that we haven’t yet heard how Lola’s family are dealing with their grief. So now we get to find out — and it certainly isn’t going well for Jay. We really explore exactly how he’s feeling and how low he is after losing Lola.
"This week, there’s an unfortunate reveal, which makes Jay think, ‘There’s no coming back from this now. I’ve lost everyone because of this, so I just need to get away.’ He’s at absolute rock bottom, and this reveal becomes the catalyst for him driving off to Margate, where he finds himself in a terrible accident."
Jay promised Lola that he’d take care of her daughter, Lexi Pearce (played by Isabella Brown). Is she not at the forefront of his mind at this moment?
"It will all be explained. But it’s actually his love for Lexi and the promise that he made Lola that’s prominent during this story. His family are horrified by what happens. They’re going to have to drag him through and pull him out of the hole he’s in."
The scenes are set to be very emotional. How did you find filming them?
"It’s been hard work. After everything with Lola’s illness and death, it was like, ‘Right, let’s get the tear stick back out again!’
"But it’s funny because I’ve never drunk, never smoked and never taken a drug in my life. So I was like, ‘Of all the people to give this storyline to, why do you want to give it to me?’ I hope people bear all that in mind and don’t judge my performance."
How do you think viewers will react to seeing Jay in such a bad way?
"I kind of feel that Jay can’t really do any wrong — people just seem to love the character. So I’m sure they’ll feel really sorry for him. It’s been lovely because I’ve been getting a lot of feedback. A lot of people have reached out to tell me their stories of how they’ve lost loved ones or gone through something similar. It just goes to show the impact this storyline has had. I’m forever proud of it."
When you’ve been filming difficult scenes such as these, is it hard to leave work behind when you clock off?
"After long days, of course I’m tired, but I can’t let it get to me. When I leave for the day, I’m completely out of work mode and I’m just in Jamie mode. I’m quite lucky because I’ve got some great friends and we’re always out and about doing things, so there’s no danger of me allowing everything to get into my head."
You’ve been a familiar face in Albert Square for almost 17 years. Would you say this is one of the most challenging storylines you’ve faced?
"Certainly. The whole story arc, from finding out Lola had a brain tumour to her dying and now this, has been a challenge. But I’m enjoying that, as well as getting to represent the show."
What has it been like working with other members of the cast on this whole storyline?
"There have been days where we’ve all been like, ‘I can’t do another scene, I just haven’t got it in me.’ But we just help each other through.
"We all know each other inside out now as we’ve worked together so long, particularly me, Perry Fenwick [who plays Billy Mitchell] and Emma Barton [AKA Honey Mitchell]. They’re like family to me now — I’ve probably spent more time with them than my real family! They have watched me grow up, they’ve seen my teenage years, they’ve witnessed it all!
"Although they take the mick out of me, I’m like their little surrogate son really, and I love that. The cast and crew are a big reason why I’ve stayed in the show for so long."
You must miss working with Danielle…
"Actually, I can’t get rid of her, she’s on the phone to me all day! Of course, I miss her at work but she’s certainly not a stranger. We’re great mates and I’m sure I’ve made a friend for life. "
Finally, what do you hope the future holds for Jay?
"I’m not really sure at this point! I’m sure there will be plenty more ups and downs and more Mitchell family drama. But after all he’s been through, I’d certainly like to see a little bit of happiness for him, that’s for sure! Let’s see what happens…"
EastEnders airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm on BBC One — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now.
