With his signature beard and mane of hair, reminiscent of the 1970s - Justin Lee Collins, became the perfect effusive face of TV nostalgia.
The presenter, now 38, was a go-to man for all things retro or cult-ish, hosting anything from a reunion of the cast of Grange Hill to the spin-off show to Strictly Come Dancing when the show was in its early days.
Other TV challenges have included series following his attempts to become a darts player and a wrestler, and he sought to represent first the UK and then Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Justin Lee Collins swept to fame in Channel 4's Friday Night Project
The star, known as JLC, went on to sign an exclusive, big-money deal with Channel 5 which led to less than flowing ratings for his coin-tossing show Heads Or Tails, and his love of classic rock led to a role in a West End musical.
Bristolian Collins came to TV via stand-up comedy winning a competition at the Glastonbury Festival and then as a finalist for a BBC competition at the Edinburgh Festival.
He had earlier left school with no formal qualifications, and began working in a warehouse for retailer Marks & Spencer.
He went on to get a qualification in performing arts at college and had worked as a double-glazing salesman by the time he got recognition for his comedy.
Collins landed a role as a host on radio station XFM, as well as on channels such as Bravo and MTV, before becoming a familiar figure on more mainstream TV.
Anna Larke claimed Collins attacked her in a hotel room in Miami in March last year
After his association with Strictly, the presenter found a regular audience with the post-pub crowd when he began hosting the second series of Channel 4's Friday Night Project, propelling him to further fame, alongside Alan Carr.
He had also launched an occasional series of well-received nostalgic documentaries in which he brought together stars of yesteryear for his Bring Back ... programmes. He variously united stars who had enjoyed Christmas singles, one hit wonders and the stars of BBC school drama Grange Hill.
The father of two - who split from his wife Karen in 2010, after seven years of marriage - hosted further stunt-style shows for Sky in which he tackled challenges such as learning to bowl, surf and high dive, before heading to Channel 5.
A keen singer, he then went off at a tangent with a spot in hit West End show Chicago and was then cast in a lead role for the musical Rock Of Ages, continuing to star in the show until last month.
Collins became the perfect effusive face of TV nostalgia
With his look of a paunchy Bee Gee, Collins had cultivated a cuddly, matey and approachable image during his TV career.
But comic Frankie Boyle summed up the difficulties he may face in any future role with a joke which he posted on Twitter during the trial.
"It's not all bad for Justin Lee Collins - the 12 people on the jury is the largest audience he's ever likely to perform in front of again," he wrote.