BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Jamie Borthwick shares rare snap with co-star as he breaks silence after exit

Jamie Borthwick has expressed his heartfelt emotions after he made a poignant exit from Strictly Come Dancing. Breaking his silence, the actor reflected on his journey as he became the ninth celebrity to depart the BBC One dance contest this past weekend.

Jamie and his professional partner Michelle Tsiakkas were ousted from the competition during Sunday night's (November 24) results show, narrowly missing out on a quarter-final spot. Finding themselves in the dreaded dance-off for their first time, they faced Olympian Montell Douglas and her partner Johannes Radebe—who were also in the bottom-two for the second consecutive week—in an attempt to secure their spot in the 2024 series of Strictly.

After both pairs performed their routines from Saturday night's live show (November 23), the judges delivered a unanimous decision to save Montell and Johannes, resulting in Jamie and Michelle's departure. In an exchange with co-host Tess Daly, Jamie spoke fondly of his Strictly experience, describing it as "magic" and commending the team behind the scenes.

Before making a touching appearance on Strictly It Takes Two for their exit interview, Jamie turned to Instagram to share his thoughts with a heartfelt message. Accompanied by an endearing final photo of himself and Dianne in the ballroom, as well as a picture capturing a moment of camaraderie with new friend Wynne Evans, the EastEnders actor penned: "So my Strictly journey has come to an end and honestly it's been an absolute brilliant experience," reports the Manchester Evening News.

He said: "To be asked to be a part of the 20th anniversary series after just winning the Xmas show was a surprise but was the biggest yes i'v ever given so thank you @bbcstrictly for having me! The crew on this show are brilliant and I'm so happy I have made relationships with you all because I have nothing but huge respect for you so thank you to all of you."

He also praised his fellow contestants and professionals, saying: "My fellow celebs and pro's we've had a laugh haven't we! I'm so happy to be a part of this year with you all and thank you for being there and looking after me when I needed it ... and I hope we've got a friendship for life! ".

He then turned his attention to his partner, @michelle_tsiak, saying: "And lastly and most importantly to my wonderful partner @michelle_tsiak ... it felt like we were the kids of this big 2024 Strictly family and I loved being that with you! .... You're an amazing teacher and that look we had every Saturday before we stepped out and performed meant everything! ".

He added: "We were up against it wasn't we with tricky schedules and difficult moments but we stuck together and gave our absolute best didn't we babe! ..... I know I have gained a friend for life and I'll be forever thankful for making this experience the thrill it's been .. love ya."

"To the wonderful audience , I honestly thank you all so much for every message, comment and words of kindness. Thank you for keeping me in for 10 weeks I hope you enjoyed what we gave you as much as we loved performing it for you ... a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart. Strictly isn't about the technique or scores it's about the people you share it with and i'v shared it with some diamonds."

Later, Jamie joined Michelle on It Takes Two to reflect on their Strictly journey with host Fleur East. An emotional moment ensued as they both teared up while watching their best bits, with Jamie even noting that Fleur was also getting emotional.