A former television producer on the David Letterman show has admitted in a New York court that he tried to extract two million dollars from the famous television compere.

Robert Halderman, 52, pleaded guilty to attempted grand larceny, acknowledging he tried to blackmail the the TV host during a jealous revenge attempt.

He said he had threatened to destroy Letterman's reputation by airing stories about sexual affairs with staff members, including one about a former girlfriend.

The 52-year-old will now be sentenced to a six-month jail sentence and 1,000 hours of community service due to a deal with prosecutors.

He could have gone to jail for fifteen years had he pleaded not guilty.

Letterman has also been relieved of the prospect of a trial that could have disclosed his once private liaisons, even though he revealed last year on his show that he was being blackmailed over the staff affairs.

When the details of the blackmail first came to light, Letterman described his office affairs as "creepy."

During his court hearing, Halderman apologised to Letterman, saying: "I feel great remorse for what I have done."

He added that he realized he had violated the privacy of Letterman and his family.

Halderman is now on bail until his sentencing, set for May 4th.

Letterman, though his lawyers, thanked Manhattan prosecutors for pursuing the case, saying: "When they became involved in this case, I had complete faith that a just and appropriate result was inevitable."

Letterman is married with a son.