Jay Brown[1] (also Mitchell) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jamie Borthwick.

Jay's storylines since joining the programme have included being part of a gang, coping with the death of his father Jase Dyer (Stephen Lord), being orphaned by age 14 which results in his going into foster care and then being taken care of by the Mitchell family, as well as maturing from a wayward teen, becoming a surrogate brother to Ben Mitchell (Charlie Jones/Joshua Pascoe/Harry Reid/Max Bowden), a relationship with Abi Branning (Lorna Fitzgerald), helping Ben cover up the murder of Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison), being arrested for having indecent images of a child on his mobile phone after discovering his girlfriend Linzi Bragg (Amy-Leigh Hickman) is below the age of consent, drug dealing and developing a drug habit by taking cocaine.

Jay later embarks on relationships with Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton), Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold) and Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton).

Jay is mentioned in 2006 when his dying grandmother Evie Brown (Marji Campi) tells his grandfather Bert Atkinson (Dave Hill) that he has a grandson.

Jay is a troublesome youth: he steals, breaks into Pauline Fowler's (Wendy Richard) house, and offends Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) with a racist slur to impress his peers.

Jay continues getting into trouble, becoming involved with a gang of older boys, known as the E20 crew, led by Tegs Teague (Ben Smith).

Tegs is arrested and his mother Tina Teague (Kerry Ann White) tries to threaten Jay from testifying against her son at his trial.

Feeling unwanted, Jay befriends Marissa Moore (Finn Atkins), who works at a brothel, and they plan to run away together.

Terry's wife, Viv Bates (Dido Miles), threatens to hurt Jay if Billy testifies.

Ben admits giving false testimony to his half-brother, Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), but Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison) overhears.

With Phil and Ben frequently fighting in the wake of the cover-up, Jay decides he cannot remain living with them and moves in with Abi's family.

Jay then backs up Ben's story, is charged with perverting the course of justice and released on bail to live with Billy (unable to return to Phil's as he is a witness).

He resumes his friendship with Lola and helps her steal cleaning supplies to make money, and they end up sharing a kiss in front of Abi.

Abi is not pregnant but Jay thinks their relationship is over, so kisses barmaid Kitty (Chloe May-Cuthill), witnessed by Dexter.

Emma and her colleagues organise an appeal to raise public awareness into the murder inquiry, and display CCTV footage of a man in a beanie hat on the same bus as Lucy on the night she died.

On hearing that the police have a new lead on the man on the bus, Jay makes plans to leave for Bolton with Abi immediately after saying goodbye to Phil at a barbecue, but during the proceedings Summerhayes and her superior, DI Samantha Keeble (Alison Newman) arrive and question Jay (as seen in scenes available online) over a robbery at a shop near to where Lucy was killed, and it is revealed he was with another man at the time.

When Phil is accidentally shot by Shirley, Jay and Ben are instructed by Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack) to throw the gun in the canal.

Ben is rescued by his uncle Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) but Jay is left behind, but escapes when the police arrive.

Phil says that he killed Jay's father, a homeless man who died in a fire at the car lot several years earlier, however, a phone call reveals this as a lie.

Pam returns to Walford and sacks Billy for illegally exhuming a grave and giving the company a bad reputation, so Jay is made acting manager.

Jay is less than pleased when all of his roommates have one by one left the Square and he is forced into allowing Billy, Honey and their children to come and live with him to cover the rent.

Jay starts to complain of feeling lonely and isolated due to many of his friends leaving and seemingly hitting a dead-end in his love life.

Jay strikes up a friendship with Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton) when she returns to Walford in September 2018 and begins to develop feelings for her.

Jay and Honey later begin a legitimate relationship despite the fact that she is eighteen years older than him, which does cause them to be the victims of gossip by some of the locals, such as Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks).

This fails when Janine's nephew Liam Butcher (Alfie Deegan) unknowingly drives one of the stolen cars with Frankie Lewis (Rose Ayling-Ellis) locked in the boot.

Jay vows to stand by Lola and although she rejects his marriage proposal on Christmas Day that year, the pair eventually tie the knot on 25 January 2023.

Lola is aware that her life will be cut short and makes plans for after her death, including insisting that Jay becomes Lexi's legal guardian as she doesn't trust Ben's volatile behaviour.

Billy's father Stevie Mitchell (Alan Ford) exposes Nadine and reveals that she was lying about being pregnant to fleece Jay.

However, we aim to reflect real issues and during this storyline the audience will see Jay's torment through to him deciding not to yield to peer pressure like his father did many years ago.

Nancy Banks-Smith of The Guardian wrote that the episode in which his father died "offered Jason's young son, Jay (Jamie Borthwick), a chance to steal the show, which he duly did with a touching torrent of grief.