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The Inbetweeners star James Buckley reveals the shock moment he was mistaken for a drug smuggler by US airport officials

BBG News

James Buckley recounted the time when he was mistakenly identified as a drug smuggler upon his attempt to bring Oxo cubes into the United States.

The 37-year-old actor, known for playing the character with a potty mouth, Jay Cartwright, on the popular E4 series The Inbetweeners, was halted during his trip to see his wife Clair’s aunt Dora by U.S. airport security.

It turned out that the items in his luggage almost caused trouble when authorities found packs of small gravy-making cubes wrapped in silver foil, which they mistook for something suspicious.

In their podcast, The Buckleys, James revealed that since the incident, he gets immediately flagged whenever he attempts entry into North America.

Every time I visit America, upon arrival, I need to open my luggage and display all its contents for inspection.

‘It wasn’t due to any thrilling activities like drug smuggling. Instead, it was a simple matter of attempting to bring OXO cubes into the country, which unexpectedly became a major issue.’

‘When I go to America, I stay with your family. They’re Scottish.’

Clair chimed in, saying: ‘My Auntie Dora wanted some OXO.’ 

He went on to say, “‘Could you pick up some OXO and Bisto for us?’ She asked. ‘Of course,’ I replied.”

He added, “‘Can you fetch us some OXO and Bisto?’ she suggested. ‘Sure thing’, I agreed.

Let me clarify, OXO cubes are small powder packets enclosed in tin foil. They might have been a bit puzzled upon seeing them for the first time.

‘And I was like, “Oh, it’s gravy.” And they took them from me.’

As a follower of James, whose character Jay is renowned for his extraordinary stories, I’d like to share an account that he recently related. Despite the U.S. security confirming that he was not smuggling drugs, the beef OXO cubes were nonetheless seized from him due to stringent import laws that prohibit meat products from being brought into the United States.

Speaking as a lifestyle expert, I found myself in a predicament when I was told I couldn’t bring those items along due to their similarity with beef products. You see, they contain a beef-like essence, making them off-limits in certain circumstances. It’s all about understanding the dietary restrictions and guidelines that apply in specific situations.

‘So it’s like meat and veg, certain meat and vegetables you can’t take from one country to another.

Whenever I visit America, there’s always a hold-up for me. I can’t simply breeze through, instead, I face additional checks or procedures at my destination.

The pair, with their sons Harrison (age 13) and Jude (age 11), reminisced about having to label their luggage under Claire’s name during their subsequent family vacation in Florida, as they were compelled to do so.

Clair, aged 37, who tied the knot with a comedian in 2012, mentioned, “Don’t you recall our trip to Florida a while back, when you placed all belongings under my name?

To which James replied: ‘I put all the suitcases under you.’

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2025-07-24 18:09

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