WARNING: This article contains spoilers for today’s EastEnders, which is already streaming on BBC iPlayer, but has yet to air on BBC One – in which the future of Jamie Borthwick is revealed.
Where exactly is Jay? And has Jamie Borthwick already filmed his last scene?
Early BBC iPlayer release confirms Jay Brown’s fate
In today’s episode of the soap, Peter visited Lauren at the car lot. As they discussed Louie’s birthday, Lauren revealed that she was covering for Jay in his absence.
Jay, it emerged, is with his grandfather, Bert Atkinson.
“I’m here on my own, ain’t I?” Lauren told Peter. “Jay, his granddad’s got sick. So he’s had to go see him.”
Jay’s grandfather, Bert, left the soap in 2007, after Jay reunited with his dad, Jase Dyer. He made a brief return in 2017, on the nine-year anniversary of Jase’s death.
The soap has not yet shared how it will deal with Jay’s more permanent exit.
Has Jamie Borthwick already finished filming EastEnders?
With the soap typically airing six to eight weeks after filming, it’s likely that Jay’s final scene on the soap has already played out. On Tuesday, August 19, viewers briefly saw Jay in the market, helping tie Lexi’s shoelace.
In this low-key scene, Nicola looked on as she remembered her own dad.
It’s likely that this was one of the last scenes actor Jamie shot before the BBC suspended him for using a slur against disabled people while behind the scenes on the Strictly set.
While he was set to resume work on EastEnders, the BBC subsequently revealed that he would not be returning. In reference to the news, a spokesperson told The Sun: “We can confirm that Jamie Borthwick will not be returning to EastEnders. We do not comment on individual matters.”
Read more: 7 EastEnders spoilers for next week: All out war between Vicki and Zoe as Sharon returns to Walford
