Leslie's man is behaving badly - allegedly

The domestic lives of celebrities have been playing havoc with the plans of advertisers and television schedulers this week.

Leslie Ash, star of Men Behaving Badly, and her husband, former footballer Lee Chapman, will present a new series together (above) from tomorrow, despite the fact that Mr Chapman was charged with common assault against Ms Ash on Thursday.

Unlike the Shredded Wheat brand, which dropped Glen Hoddle and his wife from an advertising campaign this week when the couple announced they were separating, London Weekend Television has confirmed that it will air a 10-part restaurant review programme which is hosted by the couple.

The programme, Dinner Dates, features Ash and Chapman interviewing chefs and customers at restaurants while other celebrities review the food. The shows were recorded over the past 10 months and the first celebrity to appear with them will be society columnist Tara Palmer-Tomkinson.

Andy Burgess, a spokesman for LWT, said: "LWT is very proud of the programme, so are Leslie and Lee, so the show will continue to go out as planned."

The programme's 10-week run will mean it will show the couple in harmony on air while Mr Chapman, 37, is appearing at South Western magistrates' court, in London, on 13 November, on charges of common assault and criminal damage.

Mr Chapman was arrested at the Wandsworth home of Ms Ash's Men Behaving Badly co-star, Caroline Quentin, on Thursday night.

Ms Ash is reported to have fled to Ms Quentin's home after a row with the former Leeds United player. Mr Chapman is then alleged to have tried to kick Ms Quentin's door down before police arrived and arrested him. Mr Chapman was held in the cells at a local police station until he was bailed.

Mr Chapman, 37, retired from football last year and now runs a bar. He has been married to Ms Ash since 1986 and the couple have two sons, aged four and seven.

Ms Ash has no need of the publicity. A new series of Men Behaving Badly begins next month and the BBC has already centred its pre-publicity effort around Leslie Ash's character and her relationship with Neil Morrisey's badly behaved character, Tony.