EastEnders actor and recent Strictly Come Dancing star Jamie Borthwick has been accused of cheating on his ex-girlfriend Chloe Strand during his time on the popular BBC dance competition.
Strand, 28, claims she was in a committed relationship with Borthwick, 30, from March of last year, but was left devastated after reportedly discovering he had been romantically involved with another woman from around August – while still seeing her.
The revelation, reported by The Sun, surfaced after a friend of Strand’s allegedly had dinner with the other woman in question, who claimed she and Jamie had been “exclusively” together since last summer. The news came as a shock to Strand, who had been under the impression she and Borthwick were planning a future together.
“Jamie is devious and deceptive,” Strand is quoted as saying to a friend. “He told me he loved me and he was planning our future. I was seeing him between March last year and earlier this month — but I’ve learnt he was also with another woman from around August.”
Strand claims Borthwick had promised her a romantic holiday abroad once the Strictly tour wrapped up in March. However, the planned getaway was cancelled, and Jamie instead jetted off on a trip with friends — or so he said. She later learned he had, in fact, taken a romantic break to Amsterdam with the other woman.
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“I don’t know how he could be so cruel. It’s pure gaslighting,” she said. “I’d been with Jamie the two weekends before he went away with someone else. Jamie doesn’t know where the plotlines on EastEnders finish and real life starts. I’m disgusted with him and I hope no other woman falls for his charms.”
Ms Strand claims she met Borthwick in March last year during a night out at a bar on 100 Wardour Street in London. He was reportedly out with EastEnders co-star Dean Gaffney, who initially approached her and attempted to strike up conversation. When Gaffney offered to buy her a drink and asked for her Instagram, Strand reportedly responded: “I prefer your mate.” Borthwick then allegedly tracked her down on social media, and the pair began dating shortly afterwards.
The allegations come just weeks after Borthwick and fellow Strictly contestant Wynne Evans were reprimanded by the BBC following an incident during the show’s live tour. The two were involved in a backstage prank involving a sex toy, which was captured in a video and reportedly circulated among cast members via a private WhatsApp group. In the footage, Borthwick was seen waving the toy around backstage at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena.
The BBC has not commented publicly on the video but is understood to have issued a warning to both men regarding their behaviour on tour.
As the controversy continues to unfold, Jamie Borthwick’s representatives have been contacted for comment regarding the allegations made by Ms Strand but have not yet responded.
Fans of the actor — who has portrayed Jay Brown on EastEnders since 2006 — may be surprised by the claims, given Borthwick’s typically private personal life. He had previously been linked to co-star Danielle Harold, though both have insisted they are just close friends.
For now, Chloe Strand says she hopes sharing her story will prevent others from being similarly misled.
“I believed in him,” she said. “I believed everything he said. Now I just feel completely betrayed.”
