Peaky Blinders cult hero Paul Anderson is back in trouble with the law – and has gone to ground – after missing out on reprising his Shelby brother role alongside Cillian Murphy amid chaos in his personal life, can reveal today.
The star, 50, has been convicted of riding a BMW motorbike without insurance in leafy St John’s Wood close to Lord’s Cricket Ground on August 12 last year.
He posed with a top of the range electric BMW motorcycle at the German motor company’s flagship showroom on Park Lane last year.
But weeks later he was caught driving one without insurance in north London, not far from Hampstead, where he lived at the time, it has emerged.
On March 6 2025 he was convicted at Bexley Magistrates Court. He failed to attend the hearing and will be sentenced at a later date.
can also reveal that has was accused of failing to attend a drug rehabilitation meeting with a social worker after a drugs test taken last year because he was caught with crack cocaine in a pub toilet.
Fans have become increasingly concerned about his frail appearance after an annus horribilis where he missed out on playing Arthur Shelby in the Peaky Blinders movie. One friend said it has been ‘heartbreaking’ to watch him struggle.
As the acting work has dried up, and he missed out on filming the Peaky Blinders movie last summer, Paul has been making money from £150 personalised Cameo messages and paid appearances at events.
His world came crashing down on Boxing Day 2023 when he was caught with crack cocaine and amphetamines in a pub toilet, where customers described smelling drugs fumes.
But can reveal that after he pleaded guilty to crack cocaine and amphetamines possession on January 25 last year, he allegedly failed to attend a follow up meeting with a social worker to establish whether he was at risk of being a drug addict.
Court documents show that a drugs test in January 2024 found he had ‘cocaine and opiates’ in his blood.
‘You failed to attend an initial assessment to establish whether you were dependant upon or had a propensity to misuse a Class A drug’, a court summons from January 2025 says.
An arrest warrant was issued at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court – but it was withdrawn a few weeks ago because the fallen star could not be traced.
Paul has moved out of his £1.2million home near Hampstead Heath and the authorities have been been so-far been unable to find his current address, according to court documents.
Scotland Yard has confirmed that inquiries are ongoing. No arrest has been made.
has attempted to contact Mr Anderson.
In January last year it emerged that Anderson was arrested after a drinker at his local pub told the pub’s manager he there was a smell of drug fumes coming from the disabled toilet after the actor walked out on Boxing Day 2023.
Paul was carrying a crack pipe but denied he was using it.
The pub’s manager called the police, who found ‘intoxicated’ Anderson nearby with a young man and a 17-month-old baby.
He was taken to a police station where officers found the crack cocaine, a wrap of brown powder found to be amphetamines plus diazepam and pregabalin, said prosecutor Kevin Kendridge.
Anderson, who also appeared alongside Tom Hardy in the 2015 Kray brothers biopic Legend, answered ‘no comment’ to all questions during his interview but later tested positive for opiates and cocaine – not crack cocaine – the court heard.
Anderson spoke only to enter the guilty pleas and confirm his identity and address.
Moira MacFarlane, defending, said when Peaky Blinders fans recognised Anderson he could not resist slipping into the role of pugilistic hellraiser Arthur, who is frequently seen taking drugs on the show.
‘You will recognise the defendant from a very intense part that he has played in a recent television programme,’ Ms MacFarlane told magistrates.
‘He is often recognised and does his best to please fans of the show by slipping into character. He was recognised that Boxing Day and tried to play up for these people. And because of the lifestyle he leads people often give him inducements.’
Ms MacFarlane insisted Anderson, who was fined a total of £1,345, had not been smoking crack cocaine, but conceded: ‘He has found himself in an unfortunate position and should have had the strength to say no.’
As Peaky Blinders’ hero hellraiser Arthur Shelby, Paul Anderson is much-loved for the battles he has won alongside his co-star and TV brother Cillian Murphy.
But the actor appears to be facing a new fight – for his health.
Paul’s wrinkled appearance and gaunt frame has concerned fans who say he is a shadow of his formidable sharp-suited character Arthur Shelby, brother of Birmingham gangland leader Tommy.
One local shopkeeper, who counts Paul as a friend, said last year: ‘It’s heartbreaking. He’s a mess. But his erratic behaviour is causing real problems. He often seems dazed and not with it.
‘He’s had arguments with people locally. He walks around making a lot of noise.
‘We are all very worried. He is living like he is on another planet. He’s been in public topless. He struggles to walk.’
The friend added: ‘It’s a great concern. He looks out of control. It’s tragic.’
Another said: ‘He has been slowly looking worse over the months. He really stands out in the area. It’s awful.’
Photos taken back in February 2024 rang alarm bells among fans and fellow actors.
Another local believes his condition has worsened since then.
They said: ‘It’s a real downward spiral. He has gotten worse in the last few weeks.’
Filming for the new Peaky Blinders film began in September – but it appears that Paul was not asked to reprise his most famous role.
Yet despite his frailty, there were signs that he hadn’t given up hope of reprising the role that made his name.
Paul responded to support from his Instagram followers.
One commented on a post: ‘By order of The Peaky Blinders’, to which Anderson replied: ‘Forever’.
His own rags to riches tale is so extraordinary it could itself be from the pages of a Hollywood script.
The South Londoner, who is nicknamed Boycie like the wheeler dealer friend of Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses, had been making ends meet on the very edge of the law when he got his break around 15 years ago.
After leaving school at 14 Paul wanted to be a lead singer in a band and made money working as a tout, which is illegal in the UK.
But a chance meeting with a film director outside Stamford Bridge where he was selling tickets for Chelsea versus Barcelona led to a big part in cult movie The Firm after the director said he found his touting ‘exotic’ and loved his rasping accent.
Fame and fortune followed, including a decade on Peaky Blinders and parts in Hollywood blockbusters including The Revenant with Leodardo DiCaprio and his close friend Tom Hardy, he he calls his ‘brother’.
He has previously been linked to a jewellery designer Stephy Clark but their relationship status was never made public.
Paul’s big break came when he was on the wrong side of the law while touting tickets.
He was approached by Chelsea fan and film director Nick Love who wanted a seat for the Champions League game in 2008.
After hearing his trademark gruff South London accent, Mr Love decided he was perfect for the part of football hooligan Bex in 2009 movie The Firm.
Describing what happened, Paul said in 2017: ‘I happened to be outside and I was handling the odd ticket or two and sort of exchanging them for money. He was with a bunch of friends and I sold them tickets’.
Nick Love apparently found his touting ‘exotic’ and offered him a role in his upcoming film. The rest is history.
Paul said: ‘I earned a lot of money out of it [ticket touting] but that was all I got out of it’.
He added ‘I always wanted to be a frontman in a band. Not a footballer. Not an actor. Certainly not a policeman or a fireman’.
But it was an actor he became, quickly turning into a cult hero, especially for his part as a Shelby brother for ten years when that break came in 2013.
Describing his move into acting he said: ‘I was inspired to attend drama school, so that’s what I’ve done.
‘It was like going back to school for me. I left school very young; I left school when I was about 14, 15, so there was a large gap in my education. Going to drama school was like university that I never had’.
He says he understands why people ‘love’ his portrayal of Arthur Shelby, with some drawing comparisons between the two men.
He said: ‘Lots of people say, ‘We love Arthur,’ and I don’t know why. I guess I do understand. The thing I love about him and why I like playing him is he’s not just this one-dimensional; he’s tough and he can be violent and brutal, but he’s not just that. He’s got this inner turmoil, this dichotomy: ‘I don’t want to do this but I’m doing it because it’s my life and it’s the way things are.. He’s not turning over a new leaf and being a god-fearing, pious, nice man; he’s still suffering’,
Nick Love enjoyed working with him so much he cast him in his film version of The Sweeney starring Ray Winstone.
A Hollywood career beckoned, including appearances in a Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr and Hostiles with Christian Bale.
He also developed a strong bond with British megastar Tom Hardy, calling him his ‘brother’ after appearing with him in Legend and again in The Revenant with Leonardo DiCaprio and Mr Hardy.