Mark Lamarr banned from driving despite exceptional hardship arguments
Former Forget Buzzcocks He was banned from driving despite presenter Mark Lamarr claiming it would cause him “extraordinary difficulties”.
The comedian pleaded guilty to driving a 2019 Volvo XC60 at 46mph in a 40mph zone in Twickenham, south-west London, at around 6.30am in June last year.
Lamarr, 59, of Chiswick, west London, was given three points, fined £76 and banned from driving for six months. He was also ordered to pay a £30 surcharge and £130 prosecution costs at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
But he tried to avoid a driving ban by saying he needed a car to transport his young daughter and visit his mother, who has arthritis.
The former TV presenter said he suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, that using a bus stop on a bad day is “out of the question” and that walking to the train station can be “quite tiring” for him.
He said that on “bad days” he would “have to lie down for a day or two” and wouldn’t be able to walk for weeks.
Lamarr also told the court that he was “really retired” and was now “scrap trading” and using his car to “find stocks.”
The court heard Lamarr already had nine points on his license for three previous speeding offenses between August 2023 and May 2025.
Regarding the latest crime, Lamarr told the court: “It was very early in the morning, there was no one around.
“Sometimes when there’s no traffic around, your mind doesn’t focus as much on the few miles per hour you’re going over the speed limit.”
Margaret Mansi, president of the panel of magistrates, said there would be some hardship but it would not mean exceptional hardship.
Lamarr became famous in the 1990s with TV series such as The Word, The Big Breakfast and Shooting Stars.
Former Radio 2 DJ hosted Forget Buzzcocks From 1996 to 2005.
