Jeremy Kyle has given his first ever TV interview to Kate Garraway, recorded just a few weeks after he was “exonerated” by an inquest over causing the suicide of guest Steve Dymond
Jeremy Kyle has spoken out about his infamous TV show in his first full interview since the inquest into the death of contestant Steve Dymond.
The controversial programme was yanked off the air after Steve took his life a week post filming an episode. He has suggested his straight-talking ITV show was already past its prime when it got canned in 2019, claiming “you can’t say boo to a goose now.”
In his first telly chat since an inquest this September cleared him of any foul play in Dymond’s death, the 59 year old chatted to Kate Garraway. He admitted to her that his show shouldered some blame for what occurred.
Jeremy confessed: “I understand entirely that The Kyle Show had to fall on its sword because of that.”
Yet, he also touches on how the game-show was rooted in a different time, hinting at its impending curtain call after a formidable 17 seasons and a whopping 3,320 shows. “It was a juggernaut. You’d look now and go ‘it’s a bygone era’. We launched in 2005, just before the advent of social media and I think that changed everything,” reports the Mirror.
He thinks viewers tuned in to get a morale boost from others’ troubles but points out society’s shift in attitudes making such formats redundant, saying: “People watched to make themselves feel better about their own lives but the world has changed dramatically – you can’t say boo to a goose now, can you? So understandably shows like that have gone by the by.”
Kyle proudly reflects: “I’m immensely proud of the 17 series, of taking it to America and the people that we genuinely helped. Fifteen years is a long time.”
During a 2019 recording, Jeremy Kyle guest Steve Dymond broke down after failing a lie detector test meant to demonstrate his fidelity to his partner Jane Callaghan. Tragically, the 63 year old was discovered dead from morphine overdose a week later.
While the contentious episode never graced ITV’s screens, the inquest played clips showing Kyle’s harsh method, where he challenged Dymond to “be a man and grow a pair of balls” despite Dymond’s past struggles with mental health issues and suicide attempts.
By September, authorities found no definitive connection between Dymond’s tragic end and his stint on The Jeremy Kyle Show. Mixed factors, including an overdose coupled with a heart condition, were cited as the cause of death.
“Steve Dymond’s participation in the show is one of a number of factors, and whilst it is possible that the manner of his experience added to his distress, it is not probable,” the legal conclusion stated. Nevertheless, Steve’s son, Carl Woolley, harboured strong feelings against Kyle: “Anyone watching the clips of the show can see that he was in tears and was spoken to in the most brutal way by Jeremy Kyle,” he expressed.
He also noted, somewhat relieved, “The only good thing that came of my father’s death, is the Jeremy Kyle Show is cancelled.”
Kyle was adamant that he felt “exonerated” and joyously claimed his reputation had been “finally been cleared” after enduring what he described as a protracted silence, during which time he faced “steadfastly silent in the face of lies, false accusations and unfair criticism over the last five and a half years”. Reflecting on the intense public scrutiny that followed the show’s cancellation, Jeremy confided to Kate: “You can be the king of the castle one day and the next day you’re not allowed in the castle grounds.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
