Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Geoffrey Bennett & Vicki Newman

BBC presenter banned from driving after being found twice over alcohol limit

A BBC presenter has been banned from the roads after pleading guilty to drink-driving.

Jemma Cooper had twice the legal amount of alcohol in her system while driving her Fiat 500 on Clifton Down Road in Bristol on August 31.

Bristol Live reports that the Bristol Points West weather reporter, 49, pleaded guilty when she appeared at Bristol Magistrates' Court on December 3.

When tested, she was found to have 71 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 35.

Magistrates fined her £440 and told her to pay a £44 victim surcharge as well as £85 court costs.

Jemma Cooper pleaded guilty to drink-driving (Twitter)

She was also banned from driving for 17 months, which can be reduced by 130 days if she completes a specified course by October 23 next year.

A BBC spokesperson said: "This is a private matter and unconnected to her work for the BBC."

Ms Cooper was also approached for comment by Bristol Live but did not respond.

It was previously reported that she had appeared to write in a Covid-denial WhatsApp group that the BBC is "the devil".

She's been banned from driving (BristolLive/BPM)

She has not been seen on air for months and YouTube video footage of her appearing to attend a Covid-denier gathering has since emerged.

The meeting took place in Cardiff Bay on October 11. Ms Cooper was also reportedly seen at an anti-lockdown march in Birmingham on August 15.

A whistle blower at her employer Points West claimed Ms Cooper contributed to the regional TV programme's news output in November, despite the public service broadcaster's commitment to impartiality.

Jemma Cooper appears to be in the central foreground in footage from a Cardiff anti-lockdown protest attended by Piers Corbyn (BristolLive/BPM)

In guidelines published in October, BBC director general Tim Davie said that BBC News employees should not attend marches about "controversial issues".

The guidance stated that employees should not "express a personal opinion on matters of public policy, politics, or controversial subjects".

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.