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celebrity driving tests© Photo: Getty Images

6 celebrities who failed their driving test from Scarlett Moffatt to Jenson Button

It wasn't the first time lucky for these celebs…

Matthew Moore
Online News Writer & Diversity and Inclusion Lead
February 17, 2023
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Driving is a life skill and a pivotal moment in many young person's life is when they finally pass their practical test after numerous hours behind the wheel.

However, for some it doesn't just happen on their first attempt, and this is true for celebrities as well, with stars like Jenson Button and Justin Bieber being among the high-profile names who failed on their first attempt. If you recently failed a driving test, then you're in very good company with the celebs below.

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Carey Mulligan

Carey Mulligan in brown suit© Photo: Getty Images

Carey Mulligan didn't just fail her test once, but she confessed on Jimmy Kemmel Live! back in 2017 that she failed it five times, before finally passing while in the United States.

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Explaining how a director wanted her to drive a car for a movie, she explained what happened the first time, saying: "I'm going up the hill, and I mess up the thing, and I stall and I start rolling back down the hill, and there's a Range Rover behind me. The instructor freaks out and does the emergency brakes. I went, 'OK, well that's done.'"

Carey went on to say that she believe she's a "great driver" she just doesn't perform well in the "test environment".

Scarlett Moffatt

Scarlett Moffat in orange power suit© Photo: Getty Images

Googlebox star Scarlett Moffatt didn't have an easy time getting her licence, with the 32-year-old only passing last year after starting to learn when she was 17.

Speaking after passing, she said: "I just get so excited every time I get my car keys, because I’ve been learning since I was 17 and I'm 32 now, you know it’s been a long time coming," before joking that she still struggled to "park".

Jenson Button

Jenson Button in white uniform© Photo: Getty Images

He might be known as a Formula 1 World Champion, but when it came to the British roads, Jenson Button actually failed on his first attempt.

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Speaking to the Swindon Advertiser, his instructor, Roger Brunt, revealed he failed a then 17-year-old Jenson as the future sportsman drove "too close" to a parked car. Jenson passed on his second attempt.

Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts in black dress© Photo: Getty Images

The niece of Julia Roberts didn't pass her test the first time she took it back in 2009, but she was very light-hearted about the matter.

She joked: "I didn't know you had to stop before going right on red, so I just swung around the corner... then I made some bad joke about not needing the defroster in California."

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber in pink beanie hat© Photo: Getty Images

In his autobiography, First Step 2 Forever: My Story, Justin admitted to failing his test, with the emotions getting to him, causing him to walk home in the rain instead of getting picked up by his mum.

"There was no way I was getting in the passenger seat, bawling like a ten-year-old, she kept calling me as I walked to the corner of the parking lot and stood by the street - I felt every car driving by was taunting me," he wrote.

Jaden Smith

Jaden Smith in black suit© Photo: Getty Images

The son of Will Smith didn't have an easy time passing his test, and even went on a livestream after failing it. He told fans: "It's going to be so funny to tell my dad that I've failed straight up," before later indicating that he might be planning a move away from Los Angeles.

The young actor has since passed his test, now owning a Tesla Model X.

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