EastEnders' Jay star Jamie Borthwick reveals 'terrible' health struggle and question he asks himself every day

EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick has opened up about his battle with health anxiety and how therapy has been a significant aid for him. As the London Marathon approaches, the actor, known for his role as Jay on the hit BBC One series, is preparing to run for a cause that deeply affects his family.

The 29-year-old is participating in the marathon to support Prostate Cancer UK, a charity working towards defeating prostate cancer condition that has affected his father, uncle, and cousin.

Jamie's family has had its share of battles with the disease. His father Simon, aged 57, and his uncle both faced prostate cancer diagnoses but were fortunate enough to have it detected early and treated successfully. Meanwhile, his cousin is currently undergoing treatment.

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"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," the soap star shared, expressing gratitude for his family members' recoveries.

He will be running the marathon while filming for EastEnders, alongside co-star Emma Barton, who plays Honey Mitchell. The storyline involves their characters training for the marathon in memory of Jay's late wife Lola, who passed away from a brain tumour.

"But I appreciate that I'm one of the very lucky ones," he continued, acknowledging the positive outcomes for his dad and uncle. "Because I know there's a lot of people who sadly don't have the same news as me."

Prostate Cancer UK has revealed that one in eight men will be diagnosed with the disease. The condition is more prevalent in individuals over 50, Black men, and those with a close family history.

The main symptoms are changes in urination habits such as difficulty starting to pee or fully emptying the bladder, a weak flow and needing to go more often, particularly at night. While these symptoms don't necessarily indicate cancer, it's crucial to get checked out as early detection of prostate cancer usually allows for effective treatment.

However, a diagnosis can still come as a shock and Jamie remembers being devastated when his parents informed him about his father's cancer a few years ago. "As you can imagine, I was in fits crying. I was in floods. When my mum actually explained to me that it had been caught early and was going to be ok, I was like, 'Ok...'," recalls the actor from Barking.

"I took him to hospital the next day with my mum. The surgery went well, the doctors were fantastic, and thankfully he's been through his checks and it's all clear, we're all good."

Although Jamie wasn't very familiar with the disease before this, he had previously encountered prostate cancer after suffering bouts of prostatitis, an inflamed prostate due to an infection. "I remember being really worried and health anxiety kicking in, because I thought I had prostate cancer. Thankfully, I just had an infection," he explains. "But now because my dad's had it, I do have an increased risk of getting it, so I'll go for checks when I'm 45."

As someone who has battled with health anxiety since his teenage years, Jamie knows the importance of balancing mental wellbeing with staying on top of his physical health. "I have terrible health anxiety, I'm a massive hypochondriac. Every day, I wake up and go, 'what's wrong with me today'

"I had a really bad phobia about being sick, emetophobia it's called, it actually started with that," he shares. "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."

Despite the challenges, he remains determined not to let it hinder his enjoyment of life. "Life can change [in an instant]. For me now, it's about having that in mind and really remembering that. I feel like I have a responsibility to myself to live my life to the fullest, because everything can change," he said.

His family will be there to support him on marathon day, cheering from the sidelines. "It'll be exciting, because obviously we're going to be filming, so a few of our crew will be with us as well, it's going to be a good experience I've just got to get around! I'm not looking to do it in any kind of time format, I just want to get round and enjoy the experience."

Jamie Borthwick is among 190 runners who will join Prostate Cancer UK to take on the London Marathon in aid of life-saving research and to support men and their families facing the disease. To sponsor the runners visit 2024tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/jamie-borthwick.