Jeremy Kyle Show’s treatment of guest not a ‘contributory factor’ to his death, coroner says
The Jeremy Kyle Show’s treatment of a guest who took his own life was not a “contributory factor” to his death, a coroner has ruled.
Steve Dymond, 63, was found dead at his home in Portsmouth, Hampshire, seven days after filming for the ITV programme in May 2019.
He had taken a lie detector test on the now-axed talk show after being accused of cheating on Jane Callaghan, his ex-fiancée.
Finding that Mr Dymond took his own life, coroner Jason Pegg ruled it would be “speculative” to suggest the presenter and his show played a role in his death.
He said although the television star could be “quite critical”, there was “insufficient evidence” that Mr Kyle’s comments “contributed to his distress”.
However, Mr Pegg also said he could not conclude whether or not Mr Dymond lied during his lie detector test.
“The deceased’s decision to take his own life was made in the context of his mental distress that was probably exacerbated by his belief that a significant relationship had now irretrievably broken down following his participation on a television programme where it had been suggested that the deceased had lied to his partner,” the coroner said.
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Footage of the episode, which was not broadcast and was played for the first time at the inquest, showed Mr Kyle chastising Mr Dymond, branding him a “liar” and urging him to “be a man and grow a pair of balls”.
It showed Mr Kyle walking on stage and describing how Mr Dymond had been accused of lying about his age, about being in the Royal Navy, about grandchildren and about Viagra medication going missing.
In a statement released after the inquest, a spokesman for Mr Kyle said the “false accusations” against him since Mr Dymond’s death had taken a “huge toll on him and his family”.
The statement said: “His Majesty’s Coroner has today clearly and unequivocally found that Jeremy Kyle did not in any way cause or contribute to the tragic suicide of Steve Dymond.
“He is now exonerated of that ill-informed accusation and his name has finally been cleared.
“Out of respect for the family of Mr Dymond and the judicial process, Jeremy has always maintained that it would be inappropriate to discuss details whilst the legal inquest was ongoing and he has remained steadfastly silent in the face of lies, false accusations and unfair criticism over the last five-and-a-half years.
“This has taken a huge toll on him and his family and he would like to thank everyone who has truly supported him through these tough times.”
Show’s cancellation ‘good’
A statement from Mr Dymond’s son Carl Woolley was read outside the coroner’s court. It said: “It has been five years since my father died. In my view, 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.
“The coroner has recorded that the lie detector test, in which Jeremy Kyle believes so strongly, had an accuracy of 60 to 96 per cent.
“The only good thing that came of my father’s death is the Jeremy Kyle Show is cancelled.”
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Mr Kyle, who gave evidence on Thursday, insisted Mr Dymond was a “typical” guest and claimed he showed him “empathy”.
The television star admitted he never received training for highly emotional situations on the show but denied “belittling” and “humiliating” his guest, instead saying he “de-escalated” the encounter.
The presenter also said his on-stage behaviour was a “persona” and that he was “paid to do a job”.
The inquest in Winchester considered to what extent the makers of the programme, which was axed four days after Mr Dymond’s death, had been aware of his mental health troubles before he was allowed to appear as a guest.
Both Mr Kyle and ITV were named as “interested persons” to the inquest.
Chris Wissun, the director of content compliance at ITV at the time, told a hearing last week the Jeremy Kyle Show did not “target unstable people” and that it aimed to “resolve” guests’ problems.
“The show didn’t target unstable people; part of the process was only people who were able to take part and competent in mental health terms to take part should do so,” he said.
‘Suicide risk’
Mr Dymond, a digger driver and former RNLI volunteer, had broken up with Ms Callaghan in February 2019 after being accused of infidelity.
The couple then rekindled their relationship and jointly decided to go on the Jeremy Kyle Show to take a lie detector test in May 2019.
The inquest heard Mr Dymond rang the show 40 to 50 times in his attempts to appear on it and also kicked his GP’s door demanding a note saying he was mentally well enough to do so.
Dr Amjad Rehman, the GP, said Mr Dymond had had “suicidal thoughts” following his initial break-up with Ms Callaghan.
Previously, Mr Dymond had been diagnosed with a depressive disorder in 1995 and overdosed on four occasions – in January 1995, twice in December 2002 and in April 2005.
He had also attempted to cut his wrists in December 2002 and he was sectioned on Sept 22 2005 after a mental health assessment found he was at “risk of suicide”.
During filming, Mr Dymond had the results of a lie detector test “pushed in his face” and was branded a “serial liar”, a pre-inquest review hearing was told in May.
Mr Woolley told the inquest last week his father had been “very upset” after the recording.
“Jeremy Kyle had got the crowd to egg on, to boo at him and stuff, he was cast as the liar before he had even spoken,” Mr Woolley said.
‘Comprehensive duty of care’
On May 3, the day after he appeared on the show, Mr Dymond acquired tablets. In his final message to Ms Callaghan, on May 6, he said the programme was “responsible for what happens now”, adding: “I hope this makes good ratings for them.”
On May 9, he was found dead at his £100-a-week rented room in Portsmouth.
There was a “potentially lethal” amount of morphine in his system when he died, and he was suffering from left ventricular hypertrophy, a heart condition.
On May 13, ITV abruptly pulled the show off air.
An ITV spokesman said: “We extend our deepest sympathies to those close to Mr Dymond and recognise how difficult the inquest and the past five years have been for them.
“The coroner did not find any causal link between Steve Dymond’s appearance on The Jeremy Kyle Show and his death.
“In the coroner’s findings of fact, he confirmed that The Jeremy Kyle Show had comprehensive duty of care processes covering the selection of contributors who appeared on the show and their care both during and after filming.
“The coroner described how these processes were followed with Steve Dymond, including the offer of follow-up cognitive behavioural therapy support.
“ITV is committed to continuing to evolve and strengthen the care given to all those who take part in our shows which we believe set industry-leading standards for the selection, protection and support of participants.”