Jamie Borthwick has admitted he is fearful ahead of this week's Strictly Come Dancing.
The EastEnders star is on the new series of the BBC Latin and ballroom show, where he has been partnered with professional dancer Michelle Tsiakkas. The pair sailed through last week with their Rumba and will take on the Quickstep this weekend.
However, there is added pressure for Jamie as he did the Quickstep for the Christmas special and ended up taking home the Glitterball Trophy. Michelle said: "We've got the Quickstep this week, which he won the Christmas special with," as Jamie chimed in: "That means there's extra pressure this week," with Michelle adding: "It needs to level up."
Sharing what fans can expect, she added: "We've got more technique in there, more difficult elements in there."
Jamie revealed he nearly did the show a few years back, but was approached again after the Christmas special. He said: "I went and spoke to Strictly in 2018 when you go and have an audition with the lovely Amy Dowden. We didn't do it that year. When the Christmas show came around, I was like - well that's not that bad. I did the Christmas show, loved it. Enjoyed every second and I was hoping they would ask me to do the main show.
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"When we did the Christmas special, I thought I can't do this - but then the music happened and you just go. I thought it was bad on the Christmas show but the live show is wow! First
In a recent chat with The Mirror, Jamie slammed claims of a Strictly curse and insisted Michelle was like his sister.
He said: "The idea of that whole Strictly curse, well it’s definitely not going to be a thing here because it would be weird doing that with my sister. Michelle and I met before Strictly and we instantly had a connection. But she is like a sister, an aunt, a mum, a best friend. She’s looking after me, she’s mothering me.
"Her boyfriend doesn’t know it yet because we’ve never met, but he’s my rock already. I’ve been looking him up, watching him dance on his shows and I’m like, ‘Mate, you’re my icon’. He’s an absolutely fantastic dancer."
Jamie also admitted that Strictly had already "broken" him as he has been busy rehearsing, all whilst working on the BBC soap he's been on for more than half his life.
Jamie competed on the Christmas edition, but he says this is a whole new thing doing the full live show.
"Everyone’s really making that known but this is a totally different ballgame. Compared to this, Christmas was an absolute doddle. Me and Nancy (Xu) were there for two weeks to learn one dance. It was brilliant but it was so easy peasy. And the Christmas show is a little bit more light hearted than the main show," he said.
"I only scored a 40 because it was Christmas. I’m being real, it’s just my view on this whole ‘Jamie’s done the Christmas show so he’s got an advantage’. Everything I learnt at Christmas I’ve completely forgotten. And the reality of doing the main show has hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m going to bed counting steps, it’s always on my brain."
*Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturday and Sunday evenings on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
