Justin Lee Collins' Ex Defends 'Lovely' Man
The estranged wife of Justin Lee Collins has said he is a "lovely, genuine person" who was never violent towards her.
Karen Collins told St Albans Crown Court - where the comedian is on trial for harassment - that she remained friends with the 38-year-old, even though they are going through divorce proceedings.
Mrs Collins, who has two children with the TV presenter, described him as "brilliant, he's a lovely dad ... he's very gentle, not aggressive, he's very kind and generous".
Mrs Collins said the couple got together in 1996 and married in 2003. But, in 2008, her husband told her that newspapers were going to run stories about him having affairs with other women.
One of those women was Anna Larke, 38, who accuses Collins of harassing her by causing her to fear violence during their relationship, which lasted nine months.
Mr and Mrs Collins split up in November 2010, and he later rekindled his relationship with Ms Larke.
Ms Larke, a public relations worker, alleges Collins made death threats, told her to come off social networking sites and forced her to sleep facing him.
Heat magazine journalist Boyd Hilton told the court he was one of Collins' "best friends". He described the former Friday Night Project host as "incredibly friendly, funny, down to earth, always very normal" and "quite shy" in normal life.
Mr Hilton said Collins' relationship with Ms Larke was "tense" and after the couple split up: "I remember him telling me that she was threatening to go to the papers and get money in some way shape or form."
Collins, who alleges Ms Larke tried to blackmail him for £20,000, earlier told the court his ex -girlfriend brought out the "demon" in him.
He told how Ms Larke secretly recorded a row shortly before their relationship ended.
Collins told Ms Larke: "You bring the f****** demon out in me." He said it was "deeply unpleasant" and "out of character" for him to say that, but she had been "deviously" recording him, "she wound me up and is letting me go", he said. He admitted shouting "awful insults" at Ms Larke.
"They are just about the worst things a man can say to a woman", he said.
"I'm a man at breaking point ... vile words are flying out of my mouth ... I'm a man who has done absolutely everything he could to support financially and emotionally but I couldn't do enough," he added.
He said the argument had been recorded after Ms Larke had seen a young couple hugging at a pub, and she'd wanted Collins to do the same to her.
Collins said he had been at the "end of his tether" and wanted the relationship to end. He said he had spent seven months living with Ms Larke, who he called an alcoholic, "and I felt physically sick".
Collins admits slapping Ms Larke on two occasions, saying he did it to stop her self harming but denies throwing a sat nav at her, yanking her hair, and "systematically deleting" text messages on her phone that he had sent to her.
The trial continues.