Blue Peter stars Anthea Turner and Diane Louise Jordan come to the defence of John Leslie in sexual assault trial

Former Blue Peter presenters Diane-Louise Jordan (left) and Anthea Turner leave Southwark Crown Court in London after giving evidence in the trial of John Leslie
PA
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Former Blue Peter stars Anthea Turner and Diane Louise Jordan have come to the defence of John Leslie, telling his sex assault trial their fellow presenter is a “gentleman” who was always respectful to women.

Leslie, 55, is accused of groping a woman’s breasts as he arrived at a 2008 celebrity party in the West End before laughing and walking away from the stunned alleged victim.

The former This Morning and Wheel of Fortune host insists the allegation is false, and says it is the latest claim in a media campaign to paint him as a “crazed sexual monster”.

Ms Turner went into the witness box at Southwark crown court this afternoon to speak up for Leslie, telling jurors she has never seen him behaved inappropriately towards women.

“I know John incredibly well and I am standing here today because I know John very well — and I would just like to mention — when he asked me to come, I wanted to be here”, she said.

“This is very important.”

Asked about his behaviour around women she said: “I am a woman, he was always respectful, incredibly respectful, with myself.”

John Leslie outside court
Nigel Howard

Ms Turner explained how she met Leslie when they worked together on ITV’s Music Box programme in the 1980s, and they went on to star together on the BBC flagship children’s show Blue Peter.

She said “everybody loved him” in the largely female crew on Blue Peter, adding that he was “absolutely adored by every woman I knew that worked with him”.

Leslie’s career was permanently derailed in 2002 when he was publicly accused of raping fellow TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson.

A slew of tabloid allegations followed and Leslie was charged with indecently assaulting a woman. However the case was dropped at court when Leslie was told he should walk away “without a stain on his character”.

Leslie fought back tears yesterday at court as he revealed how his TV career was never revived despite the acquittal and a public acknowledgement that he had been accused "in error" of attacking Ms Jonsson.

He said newspapers continue to pursue him, including hacking his phone, as they painted him as a “monster”, and he was driven to contemplate suicide.

Ms Turner said she saw Leslie go from being the “life and soul of the party” to seeing him "crumple" when hit with the sexual misconduct allegations, referring to “two Johns”.

Of his behaviour after the claims, she said: “He was constantly worried about where he was, who he was with, and on edge, which was not the person who we all knew.”

Former Blue Peter presenter Anthea Turner leaves Southwark Crown Court in London
PA

Leslie insisted this morning he would have been “paranoid” at the 2008 party, fearing further allegations and worried that his behaviour and interactions with women could be misconstrued.

Ms Louise Jordan revealed she had specifically requested to be called as a witness in the trial so that she could speak up for Leslie.

“I feel so strongly about this”, she said. “If I had to use one word to describe him – he is a gentleman.

“I have never, ever, ever seen John behave in any way inappropriately with any woman”, she added, likening him to a “big brother”.

Leslie, from Edinburgh, denies sexual assault by intentionally touching the woman without her consent.

The trial continues.

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