EastEnders actor ‘grateful’ to avoid driving ban for speeding
EastEnders and James Bond actor Colin Salmon said he was “really grateful” for the “compassion” shown to him by the court after he escaped a driving ban for speeding.
The actor plays George Knight in the BBC One soap and has appeared in all three Pierce Brosnan-era Bond films: Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day.
Salmon already had nine points on his license and received a further three points for traveling 24 mph in a 20 mph zone in London last March.
This usually triggers an automatic disqualification from driving for a six-month period, but Salmon avoided the ban in part because he cared for his seriously ill wife and daughter and drove them to medical appointments.
On Thursday in X it says, Salmon apologized and said he appreciated the understanding given his “extraordinary circumstances.”
“I raise my hands, take full responsibility and apologize,” he wrote. “I actually feel that the 20mph limit has improved the quality of life in London.
“Nine points in seven weeks within a half mile of my front door. ‘You’re more likely to have an accident five minutes from your home!’ proves his point.
“The court evaluated our extraordinary circumstances, fined me, but showed me compassion for which I am truly grateful.”
He added: “Hello to a less eventful and healthier 2026.”
Salmon, 64, appeared at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court in south-west London earlier this week.
He pleaded guilty to driving his Suzuki Wagon at speeds in excess of the 20mph limit at Acton, near his home in Shepherds Bush, on March 31 last year.
The actor had already received nine points for speeding in April 2023, jaywalking in February 2025, and careless driving in April 2025.
On Tuesday Salmon was fined £666 with £130 costs, ordered to pay a £266 victim surcharge and given a further three penalty points, but avoided a driving ban.
Salmon is married to artist and illustrator Fiona Hawthorne, who previously revealed that she was diagnosed with interstitial lung disease, a rare lung disease that requires the use of an oxygen tank. Lung transplantation was performed in the USA in 2024.
The couple’s daughter Sasha also contracted lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects blood cells, in 2019.
They also have a son with high-functioning autism, and Salmon himself had hip replacement surgery last year.
Board chairman Mark Stollery told him: “We note that you are the breadwinner and caretaker of the family and that members within the family, including your wife and children, have life-limiting circumstances.”
The judge said Salmon and his family would be subjected to “extraordinary hardship” if disqualified, adding: “They place an abnormal amount of trust in you compared to most families and we also note your charitable work and this requires time and travel.”
Salmon previously said he took on the role in EastEnders in 2022 because he “couldn’t be away from home” due to his wife being “unwell”.
His character in the series is former boxer George Knight, the patriarch of the Knight family and former co-owner of the Queen Vic pub.
In James Bond, Salmon played Charles Robinson, MI6 deputy chief of staff, and was often cast as Dame Judi Dench’s M.
Salmon’s other film credits include Death In Paradise, Silent Witness, Band of Gold, Judge John Deed, Bad Girls, Doctor Who, Spooks and Midsomer Murders.
