Overview

• Jamie Borthwick is set to return to EastEnders in September after serving a three-month suspension imposed in June when a video showed him using a derogatory slur for disabled people backstage at Strictly Come Dancing.
• Scope’s Dr Shani Dhanda highlighted that Borthwick’s on-screen character frequently interacts with a character who has Down syndrome and called for him to complete disability awareness training.
• Blackpool Council leader Paul Galley publicly invited Borthwick to visit Blackpool to meet those affected by his remark and offer an in-person apology.
• A BBC spokesperson reaffirmed that each misconduct case is judged on its own facts and stressed a zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate language while confirming his reinstatement.
• Critics noted Borthwick’s appearance at an Oasis concert during his suspension and questioned the BBC’s decision to suspend rather than sack him, contrasting it with MasterChef’s John Torode dismissal over a racial slur.