James Buckley’s wife reveals he cut back on alcohol after health scare

By Sean O'Grady, Press Association Deputy Entertainment Editor

James Buckley’s wife Clair has said her husband had to cut back on his alcohol consumption after he discovered he has a genetic predisposition to cardiovascular problems.

The Inbetweeners star, 38, revealed that he has high levels of lipoprotein(a), an inherited type of fat and protein in the liver.

According to cholesterol charity HEART UK, high levels of lipoprotein(a) can lead to it sticking to the artery walls and clogging them up, potentially leading to heart disease and stroke at a young age.

Speaking on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X, Clair said the actor “still drinks” but cut back for the sake of his health.

She said: “I think he had his mum sending him a message saying, ‘Oh, I’ve got this sort of genetic thing’.

“And she was like ‘you need to get checked’, which he did and then they were like ‘yeah, no, you do have it, so just try and be a bit healthier’.

“So, he did knock it on the head for a little while but he still goes to the pub.”

On the couple’s podcast At Home With The Buckleys, James said he discovered he had high lipoprotein(a) when he had a health check while Clair was in hospital for severe dehydration.

When a blood test sparked concern, Buckley asked for further tests.

Speaking about her hospital stay, Clair said: “I got a little virus and it just apparently dehydrated me beyond belief. And I didn’t really know until it was time to go to hospital.”

She added: “I’m all good now. I’ve been on the electrolytes for weeks now.”

Buckley spoke about his lipoprotein(a) levels on the couple’s podcast, saying: “There’s nothing you can do about it. And the doctor’s just been like, ‘you need to change’.

“My heart, my arteries. I’m not a religious man, but sometimes I feel like there is a God that sort of goes ‘that’ll teach you’.”

High lipoprotein(a) levels are common, affecting about 20% of people worldwide, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Because high lipoprotein(a) levels are determined by one’s genetics, they do not change over the course of a lifetime.

HEART UK recommends management of high lipoprotein levels should include reducing your overall risk of heart disease and stroke, and aiming for a non-HDL cholesterol level below 2.5mmol/L and/or LDL cholesterol below 1.8mmol/L.

Buckley portrayed Jay Cartwright on The Inbetweeners and its two film adaptations, released in 2011 and 2014.

His most recent role was in the 2026 film Mother’s Pride with Martin Clunes.