Jamie Bartlett was born in England to a British father and a South African mother. He was formerly married to actress Camilla Waldman, known for her role in the Generations soap opera. The couple had a son, Hector, and later divorce.

Jamie Bartlett died suddenly on 23 May 2022, at the age of 55 After an autopsy was performed, it was concluded that Bartlett died from cardiac arrest. Bartlett was a well-known South African actor prior to starring in Rhythm City. He started playing his role as David Genaro in 2007. He was the first person to speak in scene 1 on the TV series Isidingo as character Mike O'Riley when it was aired on South African television. On the set of Isidingo, he acted opposite Hlomla Dandala who portrayed Derek Nyathi.

In 1997, Bartlett acted in the action M-Net TV movie The Sexy Girls. The gang-movie genre showcased the realities of the gangster life in Cape Town.

Bartlett also guest starred in the Canadian-South African TV series Jozi-H, a hospital drama set in Johannesburg. He was also a judge on SA's Got Talent alongside Shadow Twala and DJ Fresh.