John Leslie (TV presenter)

John Leslie Stott was born in Edinburgh,[3] the brother of Grant Stott. He attended Liberton High School and James Gillespie's High School. He spent his early years in the church choir, studied music on leaving school, and worked as a DJ in Copenhagen. His first television work was on Yorkshire Television, when he hosted Music Box's all-night music show, Formula One, in 1989. Prior to his television career he worked as a DJ in nightclubs in Edinburgh[4] and Newcastle, becoming resident at the Blu Bambu club.

Leslie had a widely publicised relationship with nurse Abi Titmuss, who became a star in her own right when a video Leslie filmed of her having sex with another woman was leaked.[4]

In December 2003, Leslie appeared in the music video for the Christmas single "Proper Crimbo", released by Bo' Selecta! creator Leigh Francis, alongside Matthew Wright in a spoof of their presumed rivalry.

In November 2012, John Leslie began to present Friday's Drivetime show on 98.8 Castle FM, hoping to revive his career as a radio DJ. In March 2013, Leslie was among the Castle FM presenters who walked out in a disagreement with their management, only to be locked out when they tried to return. By the end of the year, the radio station had become automated, with no presenters.[12]

On 28 March 2014, it was announced that Leslie would begin presenting his own Saturday (10:00 to 14:00) radio show across the Scottish Bauer Radio AM network, debuting the following day.[13]

In October 2002, Ulrika Jonsson had written in her autobiography, Honest, that "an acquaintance" had raped her when she was 19. Amid media speculation, television presenter Matthew Wright mistakenly named Leslie as the alleged predator on The Wright Stuff.[14][15] Jonsson has never said whether the correct person was named,[16][17] and he was never charged for offences against Jonsson.[18] Wright has since apologised to Leslie and said he named him in error.[14] Despite this, the story was widely covered in the tabloids.[14]

Other women made accusations of indecent assault against Leslie, and he was arrested in December 2002 on one count of rape and two concerning indecent assault, being then released on bail after being interviewed by the police.[19] He was charged in June 2003 with assaulting a woman twice between 25 and 28 May 1997.[20] The prosecution dropped the charges against Leslie at Southwark Crown Court on 31 July 2003 after new information from the alleged victim.[21] On the court steps after the end of the hearing, Leslie said that he had "been to hell and back" and that he had "maintained [his] innocence throughout".[21]

In July 2018, Leslie announced that he was going to make a complaint against Police Scotland after being cleared of sexual assault. Leslie had been cleared of assaulting a woman at a nightclub in June 2017 after a two-day trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.[22]

In June 2019, Leslie was charged with sexually assaulting a then 30-year-old woman in Westminster during December 2008.[2][23][24] That August, Leslie pleaded not guilty at Southwark Crown Court and he was released on bail.[25][26] He was cleared of this charge by a jury on 19 October 2020. Judge Deborah Taylor subsequently told him: "You, for the second time, leave this court without a stain on your character and I hope it will be the last time you have to attend."[27]

• Formula One (1989)
• Blue Peter (1989–94)
• Future Cooks (1993)
• Scavengers (1994–95)
• This Morning (1999–2002)
• Style Challenge (1996–98)
• Survivor (2001)
• Was It Good for You? (1999)
• Wheel of Fortune (1998–2001)
• Mega Machines (narrator) (1995)

• John Leslie at IMDb