FWENDS REUNITED WAS not well-received; that’s something we can all definitely agree on.

Broadcast on January 1, The Inbetweeners reunion show went down like a lead balloon with fans of the original E4 show.

Whether it was due to confusion over the format – some people expected an actual episode of The Inbetweeners – or the supposed lack of chemistry among the cast, Fwends Reunited simply did not work.

And no one appears more conscious of this than James Buckley, who played Jay Cartwright between 2008 and 2010.

Discussing the show on his podcast, Completed It Mate, the 31-year-old said he was unfamiliar with the format, unsure of his purpose, and struggled to articulate himself while bantering with host, Jimmy Carr.

“It became a thing that wasn’t a celebration of this good thing I did in my life, it was me being taken the piss out of for hours on end,” he said.

I didn’t have the personality or the intelligence to cope with it, especially when you’re up against someone like Jimmy Carr, who’s super quick and super funny. So I come across as a complete moron through the whole thing.

James revealed that he spent the duration of the show’s shoot feeling conflicted over whether he should play up to his former character or approach the gig as himself.

“I got caught in this spot between Jay and myself where myself was going, ‘You’re acting like a fucking idiot, you’re being a moron, you’re being a dick.” James explained. “And there was this bit where it was like, ‘Well they’re all here and they want you to be Jay, so do it.’”

James was particularly concerned by reports of a rift between The Inbetweeners cast, telling listeners: “I don’t want anyone ever thinking that cos I love those guys and we’re so close.”

We’re really great friends and that’s another reason why The Inbetweeners worked. We were glued together for years and if we hadn’t got on The Inbetweeners wouldn’t have worked. I don’t ever want people to think those guys aren’t my friends.

In the wake of viewers’ criticism at the beginning of the year, James acknowledged their disappointment and tweeted an apology.

Feeling pretty hated right now. Im sorry to anyone who feels let down with last nights show. Im especially upset as it really is the fans that made the inbetweeners a success, it certainly wasnt me. I might do an explanation video on my YT, or might just leave it & move on #sorry

— James Buckley (@James_Buckley) January 2, 2019

“Feeling pretty hated right now. I’m sorry to anyone who feels let down with last night’s show,” he wrote at the time.

I’m especially upset as it really is the fans that made the Inbetweeners a success, it certainly wasn’t me. I might do an explanation video on my YT, or might just leave it & move on.

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