Peaky Blinders star Paul Anderson addresses fans’ concern over his appearance and reveals real reason for ‘dishevelled’ look – a month after admitting to crack cocaine possession

Peaky Blinders star Paul Anderson took to Instagram on Tuesday to address fans’ concerns about his changed appearance.

The 48-year-old actor shared a photo of himself on the set of an untitled film project in London’s Soho, saying: “Back to corporate and back on set today.”

He added: “Thank you for all your love and care for everyone. I was and am absolutely devastated by the flu. #nofilter.’

Paul looked a far cry from his TV character Arthur Shelby as he stepped out in London on Wednesday.

He looked a far cry from his TV character Arthur Shelby as he stepped out in London last Wednesday.

He had dressed in a thick cream fleece and leopard print hood, worn with jeans and trainers as he picked up a pastry from a bakery.

The outing came after Paul pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine and amphetamines after spending the day in the pub on Boxing Day in London.

The TV star was with a friend and a baby when police found the Class A drug and a pipe used to smoke it.

Paul admitted possessing it, as well as Class B amphetamines and two Class C prescription substances, when he appeared in court in January.

Peaky Blinders star Paul Anderson looked worlds away from TV character Arthur Shelby during a day out in London last Wednesday after admitting cocaine possession

Paul, depicted as Arthur in the hit BBC drama, was with a friend and a baby on Boxing Day when police found the class A drug and a pipe used to smoke it

The actor, 48, dressed in a thick cream fleece, leopard print hood and jeans as he picked up a pastry from a bakery.

The makers of The Peaky Blinders, which stars Oscar nominee Cillian Murphy as Anderson’s on-screen brother Tommy, are working on a long climax but the belief could have a “significant impact” on the film, a source said at the time.

“(Screenwriter) Steven Knight is still writing the script,” the source said. ‘But this belief will cause enormous problems, because it will be so difficult to make a Peaky Blinders film without such a central character, while it will be difficult to have him reprise the role as if nothing had happened .

“The third option would be to cancel the whole thing. I think the best chance is that it will go ahead and only Steven will know which characters will be playing.”

Anderson was caught after a drinker in his local Hampstead, North West London, told the pub manager he could smell crack cocaine fumes coming from the disabled toilet after the actor had walked away.

The pub’s manager called police, who found ‘intoxicated’ Anderson nearby with a young man and a 17-month-old baby, Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court heard. He was taken to a police station where officers found the crack cocaine, a packet of brown powder that turned out to be amphetamines, plus diazepam and pregabalin, prosecutor Kevin Kendridge said.

Anderson, who also appeared alongside Tom Hardy in the Kray brothers’ 2015 biopic Legend, responded “no comment” to all questions during his interview, but later tested positive for opiates and cocaine – not crack cocaine – it was heard the court.

He pleaded guilty to the four drug charges during the hearing.

Anderson spoke only to enter guilty pleas and confirm his identity and address at a £1.2 million stable block in north-west London.

Peaky Blinders characters Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy), John Shelby (Joe Cole), Arthur Shelby (Anderson)

Moira MacFarlane, defending, said when Peaky Blinders fans recognized Anderson he couldn’t resist stepping into the role of boxing hellraiser Arthur, who is often seen taking drugs on the show.

“You will recognize the defendant from a very intense role he played in a recent television programme,” Ms MacFarlane told magistrates.

“He is often recognized and does his best to please fans of the show by delving into his character. He was recognized on Boxing Day and tried to stand up for these people. And because of the lifestyle he leads, people often give him incentives.”

Ms MacFarlane insisted Anderson, who was fined a total of £1,345, had not smoked crack cocaine, but admitted: ‘He was in an unfortunate position and should have had the strength to say no.’

In January, it emerged that producers were investigating his behavior on set following a complaint from a colleague. It is not known what the complaint related to, but sources close to Anderson denied anything had gone wrong and told The Sun he was confident an investigation would clear him.

Anderson, who recently starred in the Netflix film Lift, is expected to play a central role in the Peaky Blinders film, which is set to begin production this summer. Set in Birmingham between the two world wars, the drama follows the rise of the Shelby criminal family.

Cillian Murphy plays Anderson’s on-screen brother Tommy in Peaky Blinders – pictured at the BAFTAs last week

A clothed Anderson attended a VIP film screening of The Gentleman in December 2019