Strictly’s Jamie Borthwick is branded a ‘cheater’ by co-star in awkward moment during launch show

Jamie Borthwick was branded a “cheater” by one of his Strictly Come Dancing co-stars during the launch show on Saturday.

His participation will mark his return to the BBC programme after competing in the Christmas Special last year, being crowned champion alongside professional dancer Nancy Xu.

And things took an awkward turn during the series’ first episode when Jamie was branded a “cheater” for previously appearing on the show.

Presenter Tess Daley told Jamie: “Jamie, you had a bit of a taste of Strictly last Christmas,” to which co-star Wynne Evans interrupted and joked: “Cheater!” before coughing.

Elsewhere, Pete Wicks also poked fun at Jamie when he said: “I’m willing to pay a penny for a pound, Pete. I’ll never be here again, will I? Unless I’m Jamie.”

Jamie rose to fame for his portrayal of Jay Brown/Mitchell in EastEnders, which he has starred in since 2006, and is now one of the show’s longest-serving actors.

In 2008, his role in EastEnders earned him a British Soap Award for Best Drama Performance by a Young Actor, and he went on to win Best Actor at the Inside Soap Awards in 2023.

Jamie had nothing but good things to say about Strictly as he praised the show ahead of the start of the 20th anniversary series.

The EastEnders actor, 30, will take part in the latest line-up after previously winning the Christmas special with partner Nancy Xu in 2023.

And as the soap opera star prepares for the live shows, she confirmed that she gets along well with her new partner despite “pains in places I didn’t know I could.”

Speaking to MailOnline at the National Television Awards on Wednesday, Jamie was full of praise, calling the show “magical” and confessing: “I’m really enjoying it so far. I’m hurting in places I didn’t know I could feel.”

“The magic of Strictly. It’s a magical show that brings a lot of happiness to people. I’m happy to be a part of it.”

It has been a scandal-ridden year for the show, as the results of the BBC’s internal investigation into the allegations against Giovanni Pernice are due to be revealed at any moment.

Commenting on the controversy, Jamie added: “I wasn’t there at the time. I can only speak from when I was there and it’s been an absolutely fantastic place to be.

‘I did the Christmas show and it was absolutely fantastic, and it was that atmosphere that made me want to watch the series again.

“So it’s not a bad word at all.”

While Jamie may have won the Christmas special with his 40-point quickstep, he insisted his festive test does not give him an advantage over the other contestants.

He joked: “It’s going to be good when I get out there and it’s not really great. Everyone will see that this whole advantage thing isn’t real. We’re all on a level playing field now.”