John Leslie: Former Blue Peter presenter breaks silence after being cleared of sexual assault

Jury members made their decision in 23 minutes

John Leslie has spoken out for the first time since being cleared of sexual assault.

The former Blue Peter presenter was on trial in Southwark, London after being accused of grabbing a woman's breasts at a Christmas party in Soho in 2008.

Leslie, 55, was said to be tearful and nodded in thanks at jury members, who made their decision after just 23 minutes of deliberation. They were formed of nine men and three women.

He previously denied the charges, telling The Independent: “I am totally innocent of the historic allegation and will be contesting the trial.”

The Scotsman, full name John Leslie Stott, has now addressed the verdict in an Instagram post.

After sharing a photo of him looking out at a sunset, he wrote: “Thank you to everybody who has supported me through this ordeal. I will be spending some time putting my family back together again.”

In response, his former Blue Peter co-presenter Anthea turner wrote: “And what an amazing family you have, love and support radiates from their every pore, they deserve only the best now.”

John Leslie spoke out about the verdict on Instagram (Instagram)

Leslie hit the big time in 1989 after becoming a presenter on the BBC series alongside Turner, Caron Keating, Tim Vincent and Diane-Louise Jordan. He held the role for five years.

His other presenting roles have included This Morning and game show Wheel of Fortune.