STEP into CHRISTMAS!

Pro dancer NANCY XU and EastEnders favourite JAMIE BORTHWICK on competing in the festive special

- EMMA BULLIMORE

STRICTLY COME DANCING CHRISTMAS DAY, 4.40PM, BBC1 ENTERTAINMENT

Fans of EastEnders will know there hasn’t been much for poor Jay Brown to smile about over the past year. But now actor Jamie Borthwick is taking a brief break from his heavy storylines in the soap to trip the light fantastic in this year’s seasonal special of BBC1’s sequinned spectacular Strictly Come Dancing.

Speaking to TV Times during training, Jamie, who is one of six celebrities taking to the floor (see our guide, right), is full of the spirit of the season and is looking forward to performing a festive-themed quickstep with his professional partner, Latin specialist Nancy Xu.

Here, in an exclusive interview, Jamie, 29, and Nancy, 32, tell us what we can expect from their routine…

What made you sign up for Strictly this Christmas, Jamie?

JAMIE About a week before they asked me, a friend inspired me to make a pledge to stop saying no to things. I thought it was a good idea because I say no to everything – and then this came along, and it was the perfect time to put that into practice.

Also, I love Christmas, and what could be more festive than being part of the Strictly Christmas special? So it was a no-brainer in the end, and it’s really nice to do a job that doesn’t involve crying every day and filming on hospital sets, like I have been on EastEnders recently; it’s all about the Christmas spirit instead!