EastEnders air explanation for missing character's permanent exit from the soap in early BBC iPlayer release
Warning: Contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of EastEnders, which airs at 7.30pm on BBC One or can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.
The permanent exit of Jay Brown from EastEnders has been addressed on-screen, five months after actor Jamie Borthwick was confirmed not to be returning.
A short statement provided to Radio Times by a BBC Studios spokesperson at the time read: "We can confirm that Jamie Borthwick will not be returning to EastEnders. We do not comment on individual matters."
Borthwick, who joined the soap in 2006, was suspended in June after a video came to light showing him using an ableist slur during his time on Strictly Come Dancing.
A brief scene, which explained that Lauren Beale (Jacqueline Jossa) was snowed under at the car lot while Jay cared for his unwell grandfather Bert Atkinson (Dave Hill), aired in September.
This was followed by another mention at Christmas, when his loved ones revealed he was spending the festive period with a new girlfriend.
Earlier this week, his step-daughter Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown) was facing an uncertain future after receiving some news. Viewers saw her slyly slip a brown envelope into her school bag, clearly emotional at the contents.
In today's episode, her other step-father, Callum Highway (Tony Clay), noticed a change in her behaviour. He assumed this was due to Nigel Bates's (Paul Bradley) hospitalisation, and the impact it would have on her grandfather Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden).
The teen rushed off, and was later found reading a letter and holding a baby scan photo.
Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) said it was a "big change", as he'd not only moved away, but he was now engaged and expecting a baby. Lexi said that, although she was happy that she'd be a big sister and would have the opportunity to visit him outside of term time, she wanted things to go back to how they were before.
The men concluded that she still had a lot of love from those still living in Walford, and that they wouldn't be going anywhere.
At the time of his suspension, Borthwick made a statement to The Sun, which read: "I want to apologise sincerely and wholeheartedly for the words I used in the video showing my reaction to making it through Blackpool week on Strictly. I am deeply sorry for any offence and upset my words and actions have caused.
"It is no excuse, but I did not fully understand the derogatory term I used and its meaning. That is on me completely. Now I am aware, I am deeply embarrassed to have used the term and directed it in the way I did. It was wrong."
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
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Authors
Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
