Scots TV presenter John Leslie was the focus of a Channel 5 documentary this week charting his rise and fall. At the height of his fame, he was one of the most recognisable faces on TV across the UK, matching the stardom enjoyed today by the likes of Phillip Schofield, Holly Willoughby or Alison Hammond.
However, Leslie's career imploded when he became the centre of a media storm following high profile allegations of rape. During his rise, the Edinburgh star had a number of famous and glam girlfriends after becoming the first Scottish host of children's favourite Blue Peter, and he co-hosted This Morning with Fern Britton.However in 2002 he became a virtual overnight pariah and was sacked from his job.TV host Ulrika Jonsson claimed in her autobiography released that year that she was raped by a well known TV personality when she was a 19-year-old secretary in 1988, but did not provide the name of her alleged attacker.Journalist Matthew Wright incorrectly named John as the alleged rapist live on air - and would later offer Leslie an apology.The incident caused shockwaves across the celebrity world, and fans were left stunned at what was unfolding.Leslie confirmed he would not sue Wright, saying: "I think he just made a really big mistake and unfortunately I was the one paying the price."Last night's Channel 5 documentary, The Rise & Fall of John Leslie, explored how he triumphed in court but faced a sterner challenge winning over the court of public opinion.He was co-hosting This Morning when news of the allegations spread and he only found out he'd been named by Wright when he came off air."That was it.
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