“EastEnders fans were furious after Jay Brown spent Christmas with his new girlfriend Elena rather than his stepdaughter Lexi, describing the off-screen departure as a ‘character assassination’.”
Months after the actor was let go from EastEnders, one character’s off-screen exit is finally unfolding. In September, Jamie Borthwick was suspended from the BBC after using an ableist slur while appearing on Strictly Come Dancing.
Shortly afterward, the broadcaster confirmed he would not be returning to his role as Jay Brown on the soap. Viewers last saw Jay on screen that same month.
His final appearance was a quiet moment in which he tied the shoelaces of his stepdaughter Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown), according to The Mirror. The character’s absence was later explained by revealing that he had left to care for his ailing grandfather, Bert.
However, in Monday’s episode (22 December), Jay was mentioned again, and what was revealed prompted some viewers to call it a “character assassination.”
In the episode, Lexi, who had organised a screening of Nigel Bates’ film (Paul Bradley), asked her other stepfather, Callum Highway (Tony Clay), if Jay would be attending.
Callum explained that Jay had decided to spend Christmas with his new girlfriend, Elena, instead, leaving Lexi devastated. Fans were shocked and angered by the revelation, as Jay had spent years fighting to stay part of Lexi’s life after the death of her mother, Lola Pearce-Brown (Danielle Harold).
While many understood why Borthwick would not be returning, one fan described the off-screen exit as “terrible.” One viewer shared their frustration: “And the character assassination of Jay begins. Even if they needed to fire the actor, that’s no reason to give the character a terrible, out-of-character off-screen exit.”
Another fan agreed, saying: “They’ve really done Jay dirty. After all the promises he made to Lola about being Lexi’s dad, he chooses to spend Christmas up north with some new girl instead of seeing Lexi. Totally out of character.”
A third expressed disbelief: “I can’t believe that after the whole Lola storyline and Jay having parental rights, he would just ditch Lexi for a new girlfriend lol?”
Yet another speculated that EastEnders may continue using the new girlfriend as an excuse for Jay’s absence, effectively portraying him as someone who “lets Lexi down.” They added: “So they’re writing Jay as letting Lexi down too. I’m guessing #EastEnders might have Jay and Elena engaged by New Year, then we’ll hear about a wedding and a baby soon, and that’ll be Jay’s exit storyline.”
Another viewer speculated that this could mark the start of Lexi’s “villain” journey.
Lexi’s mother, Lola, tragically died in 2023 after a battle with brain cancer. Following her death, arrangements were made for Lexi to be raised jointly by Jay and her father, Ben Mitchell, who is currently serving a prison sentence.
Recently, Lexi has faced a series of heartbreaks, including the split between Ben and Callum. Although Ben was transferred from a US prison to one in the UK, his absence in Callum’s life allowed Johnny Carter to step in.
As Callum and Johnny grew closer, Johnny decided to end things with Ben.
This left Lexi upset and acting out. In an attempt to get back at Johnny, she emailed all of his law firm clients about his affair with Callum, causing him to lose his job. However, Johnny appeared to recover by launching a new law firm with a mysterious old friend who also seems interested in Callum.
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