Wannabes rent Leslie's house

The BBC is renting John Leslie's £4 million luxury bachelor pad to house the aspiring stars hoping to win the role of novice-nun Maria in The Sound of Music.

Leslie, 41, is thought to have been charging a rental fee of around £3,000 a month for the five-bedroom wood and glass New England-style house.

The former presenter has been attempting to sell the house, which he once shared with Abi Titmuss, in East Sheen, south west London, after his career went into freefall.

In the meantime he has been renting the five bedroom and five reception-room property, which also contains a games room, bar, cinema and a roof terrace complete with hot tub.

The house was the location for Leslie's home-made video with his then girlfriend, Abi Titmuss, and another woman, which found its way on to the front of newspapers.

Leslie holed up in the pad, which boasts a mature garden complete with a Japanese-style pond, after TV presenter Matthew Wright named him in connection with Ulrika Jonsson's rape allegation.

He was sacked from his job on This Morning after a series of women made allegations about his sexual behaviour and he was pictured in a newspaper snorting cocaine.

Leslie was later cleared of indecent assault and left court "without a stain on his character".

The identity of the ten finalists taking part in BBC1 series How do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, has been kept a secret but will be revealed on next Saturday's show.

The finalists are hoping to land the coveted role of Maria in Andrew Lloyd Webber's new production of the famous musical, and the series will later feature shots of them inside the house.

An insider said: "Obviously the house needs to house ten girls and will be convenient for them over the forthcoming weeks."

A BBC spokeswoman said: "I could not possibly comment on the identities or the location of our ten final Marias."