I steeled myself for jail sentence, says cleared Leslie

British television presenter John Leslie told today how he had prepared himself for the prospect of being jailed for a crime he did not commit.

The former host of ITV’s This Morning programme, who was yesterday cleared of sex assault charges, told Britain's Daily Express: “I was ready to go to prison for something I didn’t do.

“It was an awful prospect to contemplate but I had prepared myself for that.”

Leslie said that while he “just had to get my head down, grit my teeth and get on with” the battle to clear his name, he believed the ordeal “has taken years off” the lives of his parents, Lexia and Leslie Stott.

He said he was told on Wednesday afternoon that the case would be dropped and that when his barrister Tony Jennings QC told his parents, they “just about fainted”.

“I practically had to hold them up,” he said.

Leslie’s spokesman said the presenter’s lawyers were working on a “lengthy dossier” against those responsible for “bringing him down”.

They are expected to submit a report to the TV host early next week.

A satellite TV channel has offered the 38-year-old a £1m (€1.4m) deal to front a talk show.

A spokesman for Leslie said: “Sky One have offered him his own one-hour talk show, aired five days a week, and starting in October.

“He’s absolutely delighted with it and although he has been made a number of offers from other TV channels and production companies, this is obviously a very significant offer.”

The former host broke down yesterday on the steps of Southwark Crown Court after two charges of indecent assault on a young actress were dropped.

Flanked by his parents and loyal girlfriend Abby Titmuss, he told a 60-strong pack of journalists, cameramen and photographers that he and his family “have been taken to hell and back” by a nightmare of allegations which were dismissed by his defence team as “shot with holes and contradictions”.