Former Big Brother contestant Lesley Sanderson today accepted a public apology at London's High Court and "substantial" but undisclosed libel damages over a tabloid news story alleging she had indulged in sex with more than 100 men and had become pregnant when she was just 15.
Mr Justice Tugendhat was told that the story also claimed she had offered sexual favours to boys while she was still at school. And a second story claimed she had sex in a car with a man who was teaching her to drive.
Michelle French, solicitor for Miss Sanderson who comes from Skelmanthorpe near Huddersfield told the judge that the first article in the Daily Star Sunday appeared on 29 May 2005 under the heading "Lesley's a Ton of Fun."
Miss French said the article made a "various allegations of sexual impropriety" against Lesley Sanderson and continued : "It falsely alleged that Lesley Sanderson had over one hundred sexual partners, became pregnant at the age of 15 and offered sexual favours to boys at school."
She told the judge that later, on 12 June the paper carried another piece headed "Her Dad Caught us on the Job" in which it falsely alleged she "had sexual intercourse in a car with a man who was teaching her to drive."
"All the allegations in both articles are totally untrue. The articles were devastating for Lesley Sanderson. They caused her great distress and embarrassment and she felt humiliated and upset knowing that they would be read by her friends and her family," said Miss French.
She said that in addition to apologising and paying damages the paper was also to pay her legal costs.
For the paper solicitor Stephen Bacon told the judge: "The defendant apologises to Lesley Sanderson for the distress its article has caused her."
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