Ah- haasaaa

Michael Caine managed to do both “Alfie” and “The Italian Job” and couldn’t drive. Sorry Coogan but the excuse doesn’t wash… and a travelogue of Britain, yawn. Like “The Trip” would have been any less dull if done in character. The court might have done everyone a favour if they’d given you an enforced holiday, the time off might help you find an original idea.

If this dangerous arsehole who has a net worth of $12 million can afford a Porsche (or probably 3 or 4) then he can pay for a driver too. It would be claimed on his business expenses so wouldn't be taxed.

The show would go on, the roads would be a little safer and only the greedy taxman public services funded from the taxes we pay would be any worse off.

What I would have liked to have seen, apart from the relevant ban for this man's complete inability to demonstrate his skills of being able to control a motor vehicle in a legal manner, even with the knowledge of having 9 points already on his licence, would have been to perhaps accept the ridiculous "hardship" argument, but with the provision that the points given in this particular lawlessness were "golden" points and that until they had disappeared from his licence any instance of being caught whilst driving in an illegal manner would result in an instant 2 year ban.

But driving, it's a right not a privilege.

He's at the Chiswick roundabout!

And yet it would be so much more fitting & funnier as part of the series that Partridge was banned from driving during his driving travelogue series, you could devote entire sketches to his obvious frustrations about it with Lynn driving him around and how the tv crew have to work around it, like the episode when they dropped the cow on him as hes making that river cruise promotional style gag.

Or its television you just out fake it !!!! unless he really thinks Roger Moore did actually fly into space in a Moonraker

Oops, just posted a duplicate thread on this. The "hardship" seems to have been that other people had been booked to work the show, and they would miss out on work if it was cancelled. I'd have thought if that was the case they may be able to sue Steve for causing a driving based show to be cancelled by incurring a driving ban.   

The Grauniad wrote:

He said his Baby Cow production company has lined up between 15 and 20 staff to work on the series and they would struggle to find alternative work if he cancelled at short notice.

The court heard the actor ... had attended a drivers awareness course just two months ago.

...

Ann Schroder, the chair of the magistrates bench, said they had taken into account the “exceptional hardship” it would cause other TV professionals if the series had to be cancelled. She told Coogan: “We have also taken into account your driving record, which is not very good.”

Magistrates gave him three penalty points and disqualified him from driving for two months. They also fined him £750 with £85 court costs and a £75 victim surcharge.

Bear in mind he already had nine points on his licence, and a history of speeding...  And they say celebrities have a hard life 

I read this story earlier. Is it me or is the definition of "extreme hardship "getting stretched further and further...?