EastEnders viewers were left stunned after discovering that actor Jamie Borthwick, who plays Jay Brown, is related to a fellow cast member – a fact that was news to Jamie himself.
Jamie rose to fame portraying Jay on the popular BBC One soap, making his first appearance in 2006. He quickly became one of the show’s most cherished and iconic characters.
He’s been at the heart of numerous major storylines, from shocking affairs and drug misuse to aiding in covering up a murder and uncovering the truth about his past. His time in Walford has certainly been filled with drama.
Recently, Jay has been grappling with the devastating loss of his wife Lola (played by Danielle Harold), who tragically passed away from a brain tumour in 2023.
Off-screen, fans were taken aback upon learning that Jamie has a famous cousin who also stars on the show. Even more surprising, Jamie himself was unaware of their familial connection, reports Plymouth Live.
In 2021, Jamie spoke about discovering his relation to co-star Charlie Winter, a revelation that came only after Charlie had joined the EastEnders cast.
Jamie recalled: “My great uncle is called Charlie Winter, so when they said there was a kid coming in called Charlie Winter, I was like, ‘Seriously?’Jamie then went and did a bit of digging and made the discovery that his hunch had been correct. He said: “.
After doing some research, Jamie confirmed his suspicion: “Turns out we are second cousins.”
Charlie joined EastEnders in 2018 as Hunter, the son of Mel Owen (played by Tamzin Outhwaite). However, his character was written out a year later following a storyline where he shot Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) in the Queen Vic.
Fans on an EastEnders Facebook fan page were taken aback upon learning Jamie and Charlie are related. One viewer confessed: “I wouldn’t have guessed they were related tbh.”
Another wrote in surprise: “No way, I remember the other lad from EastEnders.” A third chimed in with a touch of enthusiasm, saying: “Quite cool to be fair.”