Guest dies after failing lie detector test on controversial TV show
The Jeremy Kyle Show, one of Britain's best-known daytime television programs, was taken off-air indefinitely on Monday after a guest died a week after appearing on the talk show, broadcaster ITV said.
The show, which began in 2005, is well-known for its format which involves members of the public engaging in sometimes fiery arguments about their personal lives, often involving lie detector or DNA tests.
Steve Dymond, 63, took a lie detector test on the show to prove to his fiancée Jane Callaghan that he hadn’t been unfaithful but he failed the test, The Sun reported.
The test resulted in the couple splitting.
Ms Callaghan told the publication Mr Dymond was suffering from depression.
“He wanted to go on. He was really excited and confident. But it was all a front and I knew it. He wasn’t well at all,” she said.
Mr Dymond was found dead by his landlady 10 days after the show.
ITV said that the episode featuring the guest who died would not be screened and the channel would review the show.
"Everyone at ITV and The Jeremy Kyle Show is shocked and saddened at the news of the death of a participant in the show a week after the recording of the episode they featured in," ITV said in a statement.
"Given the seriousness of this event, ITV has also decided to suspend both filming and broadcasting of The Jeremy Kyle Show with immediate effect in order to give it time to conduct a review of this episode."
In 2007, a judge compared the program to bear-baiting after one guest was convicted of assault after a fight on set during the filming of a show.
One of ITV's most popular daytime shows in Britain, a US version of the show was less successful, and ended in 2013 after two seasons.
Insider speaks out
A TV insider who claims he used to work on The Jeremy Kyle Show has said the death of a recent guest is “the tip of the iceberg” and accused the programme of “exploiting” vulnerable guests.
The insider, who tweets under the handle @tvtenterhooks, claims in their bio that they “find people for TV shows” and said they worked on The Jeremy Kyle Show for six months.
“Can assure you, story is the tip of the iceberg,” they wrote.
“Exploiting people with serious mental health/addiction problems. Promise ‘aftercare’ after f****** people’s lives up.”
They added: “Can’t tell you how long I’ve waited for this s*** to be investigated.”
Journalist Carole Cadwalladr and comedian Fern Brady were among others who took to social media to share their own experiences in relation to the controversial chat show.
Cadwalladr shared a piece she wrote in 2008 about the program and said she was “amazed it took this long” for the show to have such grave effects on its subjects.
I went undercover on Jeremy Kyle show in 2008 & found a vulnerable mentally ill young man being bullied & abused. Now someone’s dead. Amazed it took this long https://t.co/aKS4o2ndyR
— Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) May 13, 2019
With Reuters and Yahoo Celebrity
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