The Jeremy Kyle Show axed by ITV after death of guest
Image copyright Shutterstock The Jeremy Kyle Show has been axed by ITV after the death of a guest who took part in the programme.
Steven Dymond was found dead on 9 May a week after filming the show, during which he took a lie detector test.
Carolyn McCall, ITV’s CEO, said: “Given the gravity of recent events we have decided to end production of The Jeremy Kyle Show.”
ITV had initially suspended filming, and the prime minister’s spokesman called the death “deeply concerning”.
ITV’s statement in full:
“Given the gravity of recent events we have decided to end production of The Jeremy Kyle Show,” McCall said.
“The Jeremy Kyle Show has had a loyal audience and has been made by a dedicated production team for 14 years, but now is the right time for the show to end.
“Everyone at ITV’s thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of Steve Dymond.”
The broadcaster added: “The previously announced review of the episode of the show is under way and will continue.
“ITV will continue to work with Jeremy Kyle on other projects.”
The pre-recorded episode Mr Dymond took part in was based on the subject of infidelity.
A member of the audience who was at the recording told BBC News that Mr Dymond “collapsed to the ground” and was “sobbing” when he failed the lie detector test.
Lie detectors were a regular fixture on the programme, which often featured disputes between partners and family members.
Critics said it put vulnerable people, often with issues of addiction and mental health, on a public platform – bringing them a level of exposure they may not have expected.
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The Jeremy Kyle Show, was the most popular programme in ITV’s daytime schedule, with an average of one million viewers and a 22% audience share.
More than 3,000 episodes of it have been broadcast across its 14 years on the air.
On Tuesday, Charles Walker MP, a member of the all-party parliamentary group on suicide and self-harm prevention, told BBC News that Mr Dymond’s death was a “watershed moment”.
He said: “Societally, we have a responsibility for why this TV is made, it’s a reflection of ourselves that it has been made and so many people watch it.
“It’s cruel and there’s enough cruelty in the world without showing it on TV.”
Also on Tuesday, Sir Simon Wessely, who was president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists until 2017, described the show as “the theatre of cruelty”.
After Mr Dymond’s death, ITV suspended filming and took all planned episodes off the air, adding that the episode featuring Mr Dymond would never be screened.
All previous episodes have been taken down from the channel’s catch-up service, ITV Hub. Episodes will not air on ITV2 either.
A spokeswoman for Portsmouth coroner’s office said an inquest into Mr Dymond’s death would be likely to be opened within the next few days, following the result of the post-mortem investigation.
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