- Top Gear’s Andy Wilman just completed a six-month suspension from driving in the UK.
- The sentence arrived after a speed camera caught him going 24 mph in a 20 mph zone.
- A six-month driving ban is automatic after receiving four speeding tickets in three years.
Even behind the scenes, Top Gear never seems too far from a traffic violation. The long-running motoring show is known for many things, like outrageous stunts, controversial opinions, and yes, a rotating cast of unforgettable personalities. Among those figures is someone who rarely appeared on camera but was instrumental in shaping the show’s golden years. He just wrapped up a six-month driving ban.
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No, not Clarkson, Hammond, or May, and no, this isn’t a lost script from a particularly ironic episode. We’re talking about Andy Wilman, the man often called the fourth member of the iconic trio.
He played a pivotal role in the 2002 relaunch of Top Gear, often referred to on-screen simply as “the producer.” Although rarely seen, he became a familiar name among fans and occasionally made appearances in episodes. When Clarkson, May, and Hammond left the BBC for Amazon, Wilman followed them, and he’s currently the producer behind the hugely successful Clarkson’s Farm. But for the last six months, it seems the man who helped drive the show forward hasn’t been driving anywhere himself.
A Slippery Slope, at 24 Miles Per Hour
According to a report from the Telegram, Wilman was issued a six-month driving ban in December of last year. A speed camera captured his gray Porsche Macan with him at the helm going 24 mph in a 20 mph zone. That might not sound too terrible, but it’s a ticketable offense in the UK. In fact, in this particular case, it counted as Wilman’s fourth speeding violation in three years. As a result, the driving ban was automatic.
The court gave Wilman the chance to fight the ticket, but he openly admitted the wrongdoing. “I accept things as they are, 20mph is a tough one, but you must have heard that many times – but yes, it is as it is, I have nothing to query or challenge,” he said to the magistrate.
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Notably, this wasn’t just a driving ban. Wilman also had to pay fines, which weren’t exactly small. They included “£1,042 in total, including a £666 fine, £266 surcharge and costs of £110.” That’s a total of roughly $2,810 at current exchange rates. The UK did consider Wilman’s income before handing over such a hefty fine but any way you slice it, this is a huge penalty for what triggered it, a 4 mph over-the-limit violation.
