Gary ‘Gaz’ Beadle was "banged up in a deportation centre" in Australia for having a "battered" passport.
The ‘Geordie Shore’ star has revealed he was thrown behind bars last week after he attempted to get into New Zealand with his damaged form of identity, despite customs telling him on his previous trip to the country to get it replaced or risk not being let in.
He explained: "I was due to go to New Zealand last Monday, me and Marty McKenna hit the airport, but I was told I couldn’t fly because I had no visa.
"Once the flight had taken off, they found my visa and I was told I could fly the next day.
"After a night in the Crown Melbourne (I was already in Australia), I headed back to the airport. I’d heard Marty and my manager had both been held in customs for three hours, so by no means did I think it’d be a simple walkthrough to Queenstown airport to reach my suite at the Hilton.
"So, I get to NZ, and you guessed it, after seven hours sitting there, I’m told I’m not allowed in.
"To be fair, they had previously told me not to come back to New Zealand with my battered passport (which I didn’t get changed), so I guess me and the team are to blame there."
The 28-year-old hunk was then put back on a flight to Melbourne and kept on a military base until further notice.
He said: "When I touched down in Oz, and arrived at customs, I was met with: ‘Just one minute Mr Beadle, we need a quick chat with you.’ That quick chat ended up with me in a deportation centre. A f***ing deportation centre.
"I walked into this place that was on a military base and was led to a room full of bunk beds with four other guys in it. As I was marched in, one of the guards told me I was the only person off Australian TV to be held there, I was just thinking, what the actual f. I was given a bin bag with my bedding in, that’s when it hit me. All that was running through my head was panic."
Gaz’ team worked around the clock to get him back to the UK after he was told he couldn’t fly internally through Australia, Dubai, America or Abu Dhabi.
He was eventually told he could catch a flight to Thailand and head back to the UK via that route.
Writing in his column for the Daily Star newspaper, he said: "Miraculously, after a tuna pasta for dinner, I then got told to get ready as I had my flight through Thailand approved. Thank you, Thailand. We got to the airport and I was physically taken onto the plane by immigration officials, properly felt like I was on the Most Wanted list.
"Then, when I was ready to board the next flight, I had to sit with an immigration official again before boarding on as the last passenger (still accompanied by the official).
"The people on the flight must have been like WTF?! I felt like a serious criminal.
"Anyway, I got home and want to say a massive thanks to Thai Airways for actually getting me there. (sic)"
Gaz Beadle was ‘banged’ up for ‘battered’ passport
