John Leslie has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
The former ‘Blue Peter’ presenter was accused of putting his hand down a 26-year-old woman’s skirt and touching her inappropriately while they were dancing in an Edinburgh nightclub last June, and he denied the charges through his lawyer at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Wednesday (21.02.18).
Leslie – who was not in court for the brief hearing – will now face trial under his real name of John Stott on June 18.
The ex-‘This Morning’ host and the unnamed woman – who was reportedly on a hen party – were at a VIP night to celebrate the relaunch of Atik club, where Leslie is said to be a regular and has performed as a DJ, which had reopened after a refurbishment.
The property developer has previously denied the allegation, and his legal team are said to believe CCTV footage from the club will prove his innocence.
Speaking in November, he said: "I totally deny the allegation. I have not done anything wrong."
The 52-year-old star had been due to make his TV comeback on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ last year but turned down a £500,000 offer, reportedly because of the allegations against him.
A source previously said: "He was hoping the time would be right to return to TV but when the offer to appear on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ was made he was already under investigation over the new claims.
"The offer was a lucrative one and also an opportunity for him to clear his name and to reconnect with the public. But it would have been unwise while this was hanging over him."
Leslie took himself away from the limelight in 2002 when he was linked to an allegation made by Swedish TV star Ulrika Jonsson in her autobiography, in which she claimed she had been raped by an "an acquaintance", but he was never charged and Ulrika has never disclosed the person’s identity.
John Leslie pleads not guilty to sexual assault
