Yahoo News EastEnders' Jamie Borthwick opens up over health anxiety
EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick has opened up on his ongoing battle with health anxiety amid preparations to run the London Marathon this month.
Borthwick, who stars as Jay Brown in the BBC One soap, will be taking part in the 26.2-mile run this April in order to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK after the disease has impacted his several members of his family.
Speaking to Offaly Live about his motivations for raising money for the charity, the actor revealed that he suffers from health anxiety and has attended therapy to help manage the condition.
"I have terrible health anxiety, I'm a massive hypochondriac," he explained. "Every day, I wake up and go, 'What's wrong with me today.'
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"I had a really bad phobia about being sick, emetophobia it's called, it actually started with that. Then as I got older, that developed into more health things," he continued.
"I've just had to manage it, really. I had therapy for the phobia, it was that bad, and ever since then the coping mechanisms and tools I gathered in the therapy sessions have really helped me.
"But I don't think these things ever fully leave you. You just become equipped to be able to deal with it, and that's exactly where I'm at now. I'm far from perfect, but I'm certainly in a much better place than it was 10 years ago."
Borthwick also opened up on decision to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK, revealing that his dad, uncle and cousin have all undergone treatment for the disease.
"Thankfully, with dad and uncle Charlie it was caught very early. We managed to get [it] removed and thankfully it was all fine. My cousin is having treatment, but it's all looking like it's going to be fine" he explained, adding that he will also have to undergo for regular check-ups from the age of 45.
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Borthwick will also be filming for EastEnders while running for the marathon, as his character Jay takes on the challenge alongside Honey Mitchell (played by Emma Barton) in a show first.
The pair are running in memory of Jay's late wife Lola Pearce-Brown, who passed away from a terminal brain tumour on the show last year.
Borthwick previously completed the marathon back in 2019, raising money for Dementia Revolution in memory of his former co-star Dame Barbara Windsor.
EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage
If you would like more information or support about living with cancer or treatment, please click here for guidance from Macmillan Cancer Support, or click here to learn more from Stand Up to Cancer.
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