EXCLUSIVE: After Jamie Borthwick’s success on the Christmas special, EastEnders actor Natalie Cassidy will be supporting her co-star to win Strictly Come Dancing a second time.
Regarding allegations of a Strictly Come Dancing fix, Natalie Cassidy has stood by her co-star Jamie Borthwick from EastEnders. Jamie, 30, will take against 14 more fearless celebs in a rematch for the Glitterball trophy next month.
The actor, who is well-known to the audience, won the show’s Christmas special with professional dancer Nancy Xu the previous year. Fans of the show criticized the choice as “a fix” as soon as it was revealed that he will be returning for the main series this month.
Some others said that the actor had “an unfair advantage” because of his prior experience in the deluge of comments on social media. Some others remarked that the Christmas special isn’t as drawn-out and compelling as the main program.
Natalie, 41, who participated in Strictly Come Dancing in 2009, rushed to her co-star’s defense, explaining to Express.co.uk that his Christmas victory does not elevate him above the rest. “I think the Christmas one is really fun, and I don’t think they learn anything at all within that time,” the woman stated. They don’t seem to have much time left.
“And, I think he was a lovely character on it, so why not have him back for the series?
“It is not a fix, I just think it’s great and it obviously works with his work as well and timings and all of that, which people don’t really understand.
“I think it’s brilliant and I don’t think there’s any fix at all really.”
Issuing advice to her co-star, the actress told him to “go and enjoy yourself” and believes he’ll “smash it”.
She added: “It’s so wonderful to have someone you know [on] there because I love it and we watch is as a family, we can’t wait for a Saturday night to sit down.
“But, he is a very close friend of mine so he’s like an extra nephew. I’m really excited for him and very proud of him for doing it.
“I’m going to be championing him all the way.”
Jamie has said competing on the main show will be “a fresh challenge” for him.
“It will be so different to be learning a new dance every week and for the public to have their say,” he shared.
“I’m hoping to be Salsa-ing around Albert Square in no time and I’ll be asking my Walford Strictly alumni for some words of wisdom.”
Those also taking to the dance floor include; DIY SOS star Nick Knowles, Gladiators’ Montell Douglas aka Fire, singer Toyah Willcox, JLS singer JB Gill and Arsenal legend Paul Merson.
Before she settles down to tune into the new series, Natalie has teamed up with Malteasers as part of its MotherLovers campaign.
The ‘Real Out of Office’ movement calls on colleagues and those around working mums to say ‘Let’s lighten the load’ and be aware of just how much the juggle can be real.
