Emma Watson banned from driving for speeding

Emma Watson, best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, has been banned from driving for six months after being caught speeding.

Watson was recorded driving at 38mph in a 30mph zone in Oxford on the evening of July 31st 2024. At the time, she already had nine points on her driving license, the court heard.

The 35-year-old, who is currently studying for a master’s degree in creative writing at the University of Oxford, was ordered to pay a total of £1,044 during a short hearing at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

While she did not attend the hearing, her representatives have been contacted for comment.

Watson rose to fame in 2001 with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint. She went on to appear in all eight films, concluding in 2011. Her later roles include Beauty and the Beast, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and The Bling Ring. Her last film appearance was in Greta Gerwig’s 2019 version of Little Women.

In 2023, she launched a sustainable gin brand with her brother.

Meanwhile, a new television adaptation of the Harry Potter books is in development, with Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Arabella Stanton as Hermione, and Alastair Stout as Ron. The cast also includes John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Nick Frost as Hagrid, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape. The HBO series is expected to run over a decade.

Also appearing in court that day was actress Zoë Wanamaker, who played Madam Hooch in the original film series. Wanamaker, 76, was caught driving at 46mph in a 40mph zone on the M4 in Newbury, Berkshire, on 7 August 2024.

She also had nine points on her license before the offence. She received the same penalty: a £1,044 fine and a six-month driving ban.

Her lawyer, Duncan Jones, told the court, “She was not asking for special treatment and accepts the fine.”

District Judge Arvind Sharma added three more points to both actors’ licenses, leading to their automatic disqualification for six months.

(BBC)

ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE