John Leslie hails Edinburgh ahead of first ever show as radio DJ He added: "If can do my bit for the community - and say a thank you of sorts to the life I was able to rebuild back in the Capital and to the people who have helped me over the past ten years - by working with Castle FM, I will be very pleased." Castle FM's business development manager, Donny Hughes, defended the station's decision to offer Leslie a route back into the public eye. He said: "John has had a rough ten years for sure, but despite all the lurid allegations nothing has ever been proven. I've known John for decades and I know that he loves Edinburgh through and through. Leslie was sacked by ITV after failing to respond to the claims about his private life and the publication of pictures showing him using cocaine. He sold his luxurious London home and moved back to the Capital, where he is understood to have been working as a property developer. In an interview after he was cleared of the indecent assault allegations, he said: "To be frank, the only thing that has happened in this whole thing is that a lot of women have made a lot of money out of me. Not one of their allegations has been proved. But he added: "The only set pattern was I maybe didn't treat women with the respect I should have in terms of phoning them back and being more honest with them and more genuine, but that is no crime. Leslie said he was "delighted" to land the opportunity, adding: "I am determined to make the show a must-listen. Friday night between 4pm and 7pm is my favourite time of the week - it's the time everyone has switched off from work and is looking forward to the weekend. I'm planning to seize on all that excitement and energy and add my own enthusiasm to create a show that is full of great chat and great music. I've obviously had plenty of presenting, TV and broadcasting experience in the past but never tackled being a radio DJ. Neighbours of the Academy Street-based station today welcomed his return. Lollipop man Philip McCabe said: "It's a shame some people will hold these allegations against him. You should give any person a second chance. John Leslie became Blue Peter's first Scottish presenter in April 1989 and by 1998 was earning £250,000 a year hosting popular gameshow Wheel of Fortune on ITV. In October 2002, Ulrika Jonsson, below, wrote in her autobiography that she had been raped by a well-known television presenter. Media speculation raged until Matthew Wright accidentally disclosed on his TV show that Leslie was the alleged attacker. Shortly afterwards, several other women made accusations relating to indecent assault by the star, who was arrested and charged with assaulting a woman twice between May 25 and May 28, 1997. He was never charged with offences against Jonsson. Prosecutors dropped the indecent assault charge against him on July 31, 2003. In 2006 BBC series My Childhood, he admitted abusing drugs and that he "had never learnt how to treat women with respect." On June 23, 2008, it was reported that Leslie had again been arrested in relation to an alleged rape that happened in November 1995. Once again, no charges were brought. In an interview, he said of reviving his career: "I believe everything happens for a reason. If somebody would consider me I wouldn't chuck it away.