EastEnders’ Jamie Borthwick breaks his silence on the Strictly curse as he hits back at claims he is romantically involved with pro partner Michelle Tsiakkas

By William On Sep 20, 2024

Jamie Borthwick has dismissed suggestions he is romantically linked to Strictly Come Dancing partner Michelle Tsiakkas, insisting they are like ‘brothers and sisters’.

For years, the BBC show has seen many romances between celebrities and their partners, with some even leaving their partners to continue the relationship. This has led to it being called the ‘curse of Strictly’.

Fans saw the chemistry between the 30-year-old EastEnders star and the 29-year-old professional dancer during the launch show, as they tried out cute nicknames for each other.

But he has since insisted they are so much like siblings that “nobody needs to worry”.

Jamie laughed at the idea of the Strictly curse and said The Mirror: ‘The idea of the whole Strictly curse, that’s definitely not going to happen here because it would be weird to do that with my sister.

Jamie Borthwick has dismissed suggestions he is romantically linked to Strictly Come Dancing partner Michelle Tsiakkas, insisting they are like ‘brothers and sisters’

The 30-year-old actor has debunked romance rumours and the dreaded Strictly curse by claiming his partner Michelle, 29, is mothering him and he secretly adores her boyfriend

‘Michelle and I met on Strictly and we clicked straight away. But she’s like a sister, an aunt, a mother, a best friend. She looks after me, she’s a mother to me.’

And Jamie, who has played the role of brash Jay on the BBC One soap since he was 11, also said he is in awe of Michelle’s boyfriend Simone Arena, who is a Dancing With The Stars champion.

He explained: ‘Her boyfriend doesn’t know it yet because we’ve never met, but he’s already my rock. I’ve looked him up, seen him dance at his shows and I thought, “Buddy, you’re my icon”. He’s an absolutely fantastic dancer.’

Michelle added that she and Jamie are like “brother and sister” and that they have built “a great bond” so early on in the show.

Jamie and Michelle, who will perform their first live show on Saturday, are less than two weeks into training, but Jamie admitted the intense training regime has already taken its toll.

He claimed it was like ‘Strictly had already won’ as it had ‘broken’ him after just a few days, but admitted he wanted to keep that ‘a secret’ as he is one of the youngest contestants on the show.

He also admitted that despite the tough training regime, he still enjoys every aspect of it.

After winning last year’s Strictly Special with a perfect score of 40, Jamie is favourite to win, which adds to the pressure.

Michelle is in a relationship with Dancing With The Stars champion Simone Arena

Jamie laughed at the idea of the Strictly curse, saying: ‘The whole Strictly curse idea, that’s definitely not going to happen here.’

Last month it was confirmed that Jamie would be joining the hit BBC series. It won’t be his first time though, as he appeared in last year’s Christmas special alongside Nancy Xu

The first live show of Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturday at 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer

He claimed that everyone ‘announces’ that, but that this time it’s ‘a completely different story’. He admitted that the Christmas special was a breeze compared to this year’s show, because it’s a bit ‘lighter’.

Confessing Strictly is ‘always on his mind’ when he goes to bed, Jamie admitted he’s ‘completely forgotten’ everything he learned at Christmas.

Michelle showed her support for her partner by adding that all celebrities experience an “initial shock” when they move their bodies in a way they are not used to.

However, Jamie also admitted that he is naturally lazy and loves fast food, which means Michelle has to ‘keep an eye on him’.

Jamie admitted he was nervous about his first performance. He said he was mostly worried he would “fall down,” but part of him is hoping it happens so it’s “out of the way.”

Despite the nerves, Jamie admitted he and Michelle just want to “have a laugh” and “enjoy the excitement of live television.”

The dynamic duo aren’t the only ones thoroughly enjoying their first steps together.

Love Island star Tasha Ghouri hit it off with Aljaz Skorjanec, singer Toyah Willcox with Neil Jones and Olympic swimming talent Tom Dean with Nadiya Bychkova.

The first live show of Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturday at 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer.