BBC EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick opens up on hidden 'every day' health battle

EastEnders' Jamie Borthwick has candidly spoken about his personal health struggles and the impact of his family's health issues as he prepares to run the London Marathon. The actor, known for his role as Jay Brown in the iconic BBC series since 2006, is set to take on the challenge this weekend, aiming to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK.

At 29 years old, Jamie has had to face the reality of prostate cancer within his family, with both his dad Simon and uncle Charlie receiving diagnoses, while a cousin of his is also currently undergoing treatment. In a heartfelt interview with The Mirror, Jamie shared: "I have terrible health anxiety, I'm a massive hypochondriac.

"Every day, I wake up and go, 'What's wrong with me today? The therapy sessions have really helped me but I don't think these things ever fully leave you."

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Jamie emotionally recounted the moment he found out about his father's condition, expressing relief that it was detected early by doctors. Following successful surgery, his dad Simon, aged 57, was declared cancer-free, and his uncle has also made a recovery.

With his father having fought prostate cancer, Jamie faces a heightened risk of being diagnosed himself. After suffering from prostatitis inflammation of the prostate Jamie described his fear: "I was really worried and health anxiety kicking in, because I thought I had prostate cancer. Thankfully, I just had an infection."

Jamie Borthwick, known to EastEnders fans as Jay Brown, will be hitting the streets for the London Marathon alongside co-star Emma Barton, who portrays Honey Mitchell on the show. The storyline has seen their characters training for the marathon in tribute to Jay's late wife Lola Pearce (played by Danielle Harold), who passed away from a brain tumour last year.

In a unique twist, both Jamie and Emma will be running portions of the marathon in character, with scenes set to be incorporated into the soap. Jamie confirmed his participation in the upcoming March event with a heartfelt message: "17 months on from my sister running the London marathon for @prostatecanceruk I am now doing the same for our beloved dad and uncle! ".

He continued, highlighting the importance of the cause: "Prostate cancer affects 1 in 8 men and the more awareness we raise and encourage all us men to get checked a lot earlier hopefully we can bring that number down! The link is in the Bio for all donations and we hugely appreciate anything everybody can give! "