John Leslie (TV presenter)

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John Leslie Stott (born 22 February 1965 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish former television and radio presenter. He is best known for presenting Blue Peter, Wheel of Fortune, This Morning, and for hosting the UK version of Survivor.

Early life and career beginnings
John was the brother of Grant Stott. He attended Liberton High School and James Gillespie’s High School. He sang in a church choir as a child, studied music after leaving school, and worked as a DJ in Copenhagen and in Edinburgh and Newcastle, including as a resident DJ at the Blu Bambu club. His first television work was on Yorkshire Television, hosting Music Box’s all-night show Formula One (1987–88).

Television career
Leslie became Blue Peter’s first Scottish presenter in 1989 and was notable for his height (about 1.93 m). He ran the London Marathon, finishing in 4 hours 36 minutes. He later presented Wheel of Fortune (replacing Nicky Campbell) and appeared on Blankety Blank. On This Morning, he co-hosted the Friday edition with Fern Britton, and later continued with various TV presenting roles. He also hosted the first series of the UK version of Survivor.

Later work and radio
In 2012, Leslie began presenting a Friday Drivetime show on Castle FM in Scotland. In 2014, it was announced he would host his own Saturday radio show across the Bauer Radio AM network in Scotland.

Personal life
Leslie is a supporter of Hibernian FC and has spoken about his early life in the church and his work as a nightclub DJ before his TV fame. He has a girlfriend, Kate Moore, and has said he now works in property development.

Controversies
Leslie faced multiple legal and media controversies related to sexual offences between 2002 and 2020. He was arrested in 2002 on rape and indecent assault charges (which were later dropped or not pursued), and he faced several later prosecutions. Some cases resulted in acquittals or not proven verdicts. He has maintained his innocence and, at times, indicated plans to challenge the cases or authorities.