Jeremy Kyle: The daytime TV stalwart whose career came to a halt
Tressa
0
6
09:00
Jeremy Kyle was ashen-faced as he arrived in the teeming rain at Winchester Coroner's Court.
Head down and under an umbrella, the 59-year-old broadcaster would face a grilling on his presenting style and in particular his controversial treatment of Steve Dymond, 63.
Mr Dymond killed himself one week after filming for the programme in May 2019 and his death halted Mr Kyle's eponymous talk show and brought the shock-jock-host's career to a juddering halt.
At the peak of his fame, the Jeremy Kyle Show was watched by more than 1million people each day - an incredible achievement for the former M&S worker and salesman whose big break came in local radio.
Today the thrice-married father-of-six, whose youngest daughter is just a few months old, is a host on Rupert Murdoch's TalkTV, which in 2024 had shows viewed by as few as 11,000 people.
He has also admitted some close celebrity friends had 'disappeared' in the aftermath of Mr Dymond's death - and the money will have dried up to, despite a £1million payoff from ITV.
One insider said: 'Jeremy still has ambitions to be a big name on primetime TV once more - but the inquest just brings it all up again', adding: 'You have to remember he is now married for the third time and has six kids to provide for including two very young children'.
Jeremy Kyle arrives at Winchester Coroner's Court, Hampshire, to give evidence in the inquest into the death of 63-year-old Steve Dymond, who killed himself after failing a lie detector test on his show
Mr Kyle denied belittling Mr Dymond and said that he showed empathy but was direct
Mr Kyle's career was badly hit by the scandal and he says that some friends also deserted him
Steve Dymond just after receiving his results to the lie detector test on the ITV Jeremy Kyle Show. A week later he killed himself
Kyle told Mr Dymond to 'grow a pair of balls and tell her the God-damn truth', the inquest heard (stock photo)
Giving evidence yesterday at Steve Dymond's inquest, Mr Kyle insisted he tried to his best to calm his guest in the wake of a failed lie detector test - the denouement of many of his shows.
Steve's son Carl Woolley told his father's inquest this week that: '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'. These claims were denied.
Read More
Jeremy Kyle Show producers joked guest 'had tears in his eyes lol' in private WhatsApp messages
Thursday's hearing was shown never broadcast footage of the moment Mr Dymond sobbed as he was told he had lied about cheating.
Mr Kyle did show some signs of concern for his guest - but also told him to 'grow a pair of balls' and said he didn't trust him.
Jeremy told Maya Sikand KC, representing Dymond's family, that he was empathetic but honest with his guest.
Ms Sikand said he was 'belittling' Mr Dymond, to which he replied: 'I wouldn't agree with you, I would say it's the part. From the beginning I had a joke with him, he did get upset but he wasn't upset from the beginning, that's the journey and that's the way the Jeremy Kyle show was'.
Kyle's personal life has seen him make headlines over the years.
He married his first wife Kirsty Rowley in 1989 but they split soon afterwards.
He met Carla Germaine when she entered a competition to marry a stranger on Birmingham radio station BRMB, where Kyle was working at the time.
She married salesman Greg Cordell but they later split up and she got together with Kyle, marrying him in 2002.
In 2015 they split after 13 years of marriage, and were granted a decree nisi the following year, with a lawyer for Germaine petitioning for divorce on the grounds of unreasonable behaviour.
Kyle became engaged to Vicky Burton, the former nanny of his children. They tied the knot in 2021 in Windsor, Berkshire after having to reschedule their wedding six times.
He has six children.
The Jeremy Kyle Show first aired in 2005 but it was cancelled on May 10, 2019 - 24 hours after Mr Dymond's death and has never been seen again.
It ran for 17 series and at the peak of his powers he even took his show to the US but it failed to take off.
He drew criticism for his hard-nosed style, but also won himself legions of fans for his tough no-nonsense tactics and many who loved the lie detector tests, especially when a guest failed. Yesterday he said it was not a true reflection of who he is, rather a 'presenter persona' that he was paid to do by ITV.
But those who worked on the show have claimed it was not always an easy place to work.
Am ITV insider said: 'The environment was toxic and runners and 시알리스사이트 producers were in fear daily'.
When the show was axed, many lost their jobs and 시알리스구입처 claimed that Mr Kyle's reputation hindered their careers.
'I know that a lot of the producers who worked with him found it hard to get work post the show collapsing. It affected everyone', the source said.
Jeremy Kyle and his wife Vicky Burton. The couple have recently had a baby
Jeremy and his second wife Carla met when he was working in a Birmingham radio station and she took part in a competition to marry a stranger
Mr Kyle and his first wife Kirsty, pictured in 1989.
The audience was not protected from Kyle's style.
One woman told MailOnline how she was 'shocked' when the host turned around in a break before filming to make a joke about her glasses.
Read More
Jeremy Kyle guest Steve Dymond told lie detector tests are 'very accurate' in never-before-seen clip
'I was completely taken aback and thought "Oh so this is what he's like". I felt so uncomfortable that I thought about getting up and leaving. He was the most overconfident person I've ever met', she said.
Jeremy Kyle made a name for himself as the host of his eponymous talk show, presiding over arguing members of the public airing their issues on TV until it all came to an end.
The confrontational programme, which was pulled off the air for good following the death of a guest in May 2019, had been a popular addition to ITV's daytime schedule since it started in 2005, turning Kyle into a household name.
Steve Dymond, from Portsmouth, Hampshire, died a week after he recorded a 2019 episode, and Kyle is appearing at his inquest on Thursday at Winchester Coroner's Court.
The Jeremy Kyle Show centred around its host confronting guests over infidelities, addictions, dysfunctional relationships and parenting methods, among myriad other personal disputes.
Mr Dymond died in May 2019 - seven days after appearing on the Jeremy Kyle show
The 63-year-old went on the show to try to prove he wasn't cheating on fiancée Jane Callaghan (pictured)
Prior to his broadcasting career, Kyle worked in Marks & Spencer and had jobs as an insurance salesman and a recruitment consultant before taking on a number of radio presenting jobs in the 1990s.
After stints at several local stations, including Kent's Invicta FM, he joined BRMB in Birmingham, where he fronted the shows Late And Live and Jezza's Jukebox.
By 2000, Kyle had carved out a respectable radio career and moved to Virgin Radio and then London's Capital FM, where he hosted his Confessions show, having taken the format with him from Virgin.
The programme was a precursor to what would later inspire his ITV talk show, allowing listeners to call in with their relationship issues and dilemmas while he listened and offered advice.
In July 2005, Kyle was drafted in to host his own talk show on ITV following the departure of Trisha Goddard, who had her own morning programme on the channel.
Reminiscent of The Jerry Springer Show in the US, it was an early hit for tackling issues around traditional family values, and was nominated for a National Television Award (NTA) in 2007 in the most popular factual programme category.
However, it also divided opinion among viewers for its fiery confrontations and rowdy format, with family members airing their dirty laundry on stage in front of an audience while Kyle would watch on.
Kyle would act as mediator to his guests, being either gentle and kind or shouting at them to pull their lives together.
In 2011, Kyle took his programme to the US, but it was cancelled the following year because of poor ratings.
Away from The Jeremy Kyle Show, he acted as a guest presenter on ITV's Good Morning Britain, and fronted a number of other programmes including Military Driving School, Jeremy Kyle's Emergency Room and the game show High Stakes.
In 2009 he released his first book, I'm Only Being Honest, focusing on the UK's social issues and his opinions on how to solve them.
The broadcaster revealed in 2009 that he had obsessive compulsive disorder, admitting that he would often lick his phone to make sure it was clean, among other things.
Former talk show host Jeremy Kyle leaves Winchester Coroner's Court
Mr Kyle was once one of the most famous names in British TV
Following the cancellation of The Jeremy Kyle Show, ITV has said it would continue to work with Kyle on other projects.
However, he had a break from broadcasting on TV. In 2021 when he went back on air with a talkRadio show.
Kyle claimed he had been 'cancelled' before taking on the show.
He has continued at the News UK-owned broadcaster, after it launched the channel TalkTV. It had abandoned linear programming and started an online streaming service called Talk.
Steve Dymond, 63, is believed to have killed himself one week after filming for the programme in May 2019.
Kyle, 59, was accused of 'throwing Mr Dymond under the bus' after he failed a lie detector test, telling him to 'grow a pair of balls' and saying he wouldn't trust him 'with a chocolate button'.
And yesterday Mr Dymond's unaired appearance on The Jeremy Kyle Show was shown for the first time.
The inquest heard that ITV producers joked about Mr Dymond crying.
One member of the programme's team said in a private WhatsApp group that Mr Dymond 'had tears in his eyes twice lol x'.
The inquest heard he left after telling a producer, 'I wish I was dead', according to a private WhatsApp conversation.
Mr Dymond signed up in 2019 to try to prove to his partner Jane Callaghan that he was faithful.
But when the lie detector test concluded he was not telling the truth, Kyle said: 'I wouldn't trust you with a chocolate button, mate.' In the eight-minute clip, Mr Dymond can be seen holding his partner's hand, saying: 'Since we've split up, and got back together, I've never once lied to her.'
When Kyle asks if he loves Jane, Mr Dymond's voice cracks as he says: 'God, to bits. So so much.'
The TV presenter told Winchester Coroner's Court in England that Mr Dymond was just another 'typical' guest and insisted that he showed him 'empathy'.
Giving evidence for the first time, Kyle denied 'belittling' Mr Dymond and claimed he displayed 'care'. Kyle said he had been 'very complimentary' of Mr Dymond, from Portsmouth in Hampshire, and that he tried to calm him down.
During the clips, Kyle tells Mr Dymond: 'I don't think you know what the truth is'. The court this week heard that Mr Dymond died from a combination of a morphine overdose and a heart problem - left ventricular hypertrophy.
Footage shows Kyle entering the stage saying Mr Dymond was accused of telling various lies including fibs about his age, missing Viagra tablets and being in the Royal Navy.
Kyle then tells Mr Dymond, after looking at the lie detector results: 'The test says you're a liar, you failed every single test.'
As Mr Dymond sobs, Kyle tells him: 'Be a man and grow a pair of balls and tell her the god-damn truth.'
On the stand yesterday, Kyle admitted he was 'direct' but said his on-stage behaviour was a 'presenter persona' and that he was 'paid to do a job'.
He also revealed he had never received training to deal with highly charged emotional situations, but said he had 'total faith' in his team.
Giving evidence, Kyle said: 'What I see in those clips is, from the moment Steve Dymond comes out, I was very complimentary. I called him mate, I called him pal, we had a bit of a joke. For me, that's what the show was about: conflict resolution. Yes, it was direct, but it was manufactured...
'You can see empathy and that is, in essence, how I saw it and how I see it. Yes, it was direct, it was also caring.
'I look at those clips and I see that journey.'
Kyle reiterated he had 'no involvement' in the selection process. He continued: 'I hate to say it, to me that was a typical Jeremy Kyle part. Yes, the gentleman was emotional, he had rung 40 to 50 times, he wanted to come on the show and we facilitated that... We did what we always did for 15 years - provide an aftercare service and yes... I moved on to the next guest.'
Kyle said he didn't believe Mr Dymond was 'humiliated' and denied a claim that he called the guest a 'traitor'.
The presenter said he thought he had a 'double security blanket' because Mr Dymond received support from the ITV aftercare team and his GP had written a letter on the guest's request in order to support his application to be on the show.
Asked how much of his presenting was 'artistic', Kyle said: 'I think I was directed a lot because you would be [given] the information the team provided you with.' He also said: 'It was time for him to face up to the truth and he admitted he lied many times... I saw Jane desperate for him to tell her the truth because she loved him. I asked them to give him a round of applause when I left the stage.'
On the 'I wouldn't trust you with a chocolate button' comment, Kyle said he had 'no idea', adding: 'I don't know where that came from.' Kyle said he 'genuinely had great admiration' for guests on his show.
The inquest continues.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit website
ITVJeremy Kyle
Head down and under an umbrella, the 59-year-old broadcaster would face a grilling on his presenting style and in particular his controversial treatment of Steve Dymond, 63.
Mr Dymond killed himself one week after filming for the programme in May 2019 and his death halted Mr Kyle's eponymous talk show and brought the shock-jock-host's career to a juddering halt.
At the peak of his fame, the Jeremy Kyle Show was watched by more than 1million people each day - an incredible achievement for the former M&S worker and salesman whose big break came in local radio.
Today the thrice-married father-of-six, whose youngest daughter is just a few months old, is a host on Rupert Murdoch's TalkTV, which in 2024 had shows viewed by as few as 11,000 people.
He has also admitted some close celebrity friends had 'disappeared' in the aftermath of Mr Dymond's death - and the money will have dried up to, despite a £1million payoff from ITV.
One insider said: 'Jeremy still has ambitions to be a big name on primetime TV once more - but the inquest just brings it all up again', adding: 'You have to remember he is now married for the third time and has six kids to provide for including two very young children'.
Jeremy Kyle arrives at Winchester Coroner's Court, Hampshire, to give evidence in the inquest into the death of 63-year-old Steve Dymond, who killed himself after failing a lie detector test on his show
Mr Kyle denied belittling Mr Dymond and said that he showed empathy but was direct
Mr Kyle's career was badly hit by the scandal and he says that some friends also deserted him
Steve Dymond just after receiving his results to the lie detector test on the ITV Jeremy Kyle Show. A week later he killed himself
Kyle told Mr Dymond to 'grow a pair of balls and tell her the God-damn truth', the inquest heard (stock photo)
Giving evidence yesterday at Steve Dymond's inquest, Mr Kyle insisted he tried to his best to calm his guest in the wake of a failed lie detector test - the denouement of many of his shows.
Steve's son Carl Woolley told his father's inquest this week that: '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'. These claims were denied.
Read More
Jeremy Kyle Show producers joked guest 'had tears in his eyes lol' in private WhatsApp messages
Thursday's hearing was shown never broadcast footage of the moment Mr Dymond sobbed as he was told he had lied about cheating.
Mr Kyle did show some signs of concern for his guest - but also told him to 'grow a pair of balls' and said he didn't trust him.
Jeremy told Maya Sikand KC, representing Dymond's family, that he was empathetic but honest with his guest.
Ms Sikand said he was 'belittling' Mr Dymond, to which he replied: 'I wouldn't agree with you, I would say it's the part. From the beginning I had a joke with him, he did get upset but he wasn't upset from the beginning, that's the journey and that's the way the Jeremy Kyle show was'.
Kyle's personal life has seen him make headlines over the years.
He married his first wife Kirsty Rowley in 1989 but they split soon afterwards.
He met Carla Germaine when she entered a competition to marry a stranger on Birmingham radio station BRMB, where Kyle was working at the time.
She married salesman Greg Cordell but they later split up and she got together with Kyle, marrying him in 2002.
In 2015 they split after 13 years of marriage, and were granted a decree nisi the following year, with a lawyer for Germaine petitioning for divorce on the grounds of unreasonable behaviour.
Kyle became engaged to Vicky Burton, the former nanny of his children. They tied the knot in 2021 in Windsor, Berkshire after having to reschedule their wedding six times.
He has six children.
The Jeremy Kyle Show first aired in 2005 but it was cancelled on May 10, 2019 - 24 hours after Mr Dymond's death and has never been seen again.
It ran for 17 series and at the peak of his powers he even took his show to the US but it failed to take off.
He drew criticism for his hard-nosed style, but also won himself legions of fans for his tough no-nonsense tactics and many who loved the lie detector tests, especially when a guest failed. Yesterday he said it was not a true reflection of who he is, rather a 'presenter persona' that he was paid to do by ITV.
But those who worked on the show have claimed it was not always an easy place to work.
Am ITV insider said: 'The environment was toxic and runners and 시알리스사이트 producers were in fear daily'.
When the show was axed, many lost their jobs and 시알리스구입처 claimed that Mr Kyle's reputation hindered their careers.
'I know that a lot of the producers who worked with him found it hard to get work post the show collapsing. It affected everyone', the source said.
Jeremy Kyle and his wife Vicky Burton. The couple have recently had a baby
Jeremy and his second wife Carla met when he was working in a Birmingham radio station and she took part in a competition to marry a stranger
Mr Kyle and his first wife Kirsty, pictured in 1989.
The audience was not protected from Kyle's style.
One woman told MailOnline how she was 'shocked' when the host turned around in a break before filming to make a joke about her glasses.
Read More
Jeremy Kyle guest Steve Dymond told lie detector tests are 'very accurate' in never-before-seen clip
'I was completely taken aback and thought "Oh so this is what he's like". I felt so uncomfortable that I thought about getting up and leaving. He was the most overconfident person I've ever met', she said.
Jeremy Kyle made a name for himself as the host of his eponymous talk show, presiding over arguing members of the public airing their issues on TV until it all came to an end.
The confrontational programme, which was pulled off the air for good following the death of a guest in May 2019, had been a popular addition to ITV's daytime schedule since it started in 2005, turning Kyle into a household name.
Steve Dymond, from Portsmouth, Hampshire, died a week after he recorded a 2019 episode, and Kyle is appearing at his inquest on Thursday at Winchester Coroner's Court.
The Jeremy Kyle Show centred around its host confronting guests over infidelities, addictions, dysfunctional relationships and parenting methods, among myriad other personal disputes.
Mr Dymond died in May 2019 - seven days after appearing on the Jeremy Kyle show
The 63-year-old went on the show to try to prove he wasn't cheating on fiancée Jane Callaghan (pictured)
Prior to his broadcasting career, Kyle worked in Marks & Spencer and had jobs as an insurance salesman and a recruitment consultant before taking on a number of radio presenting jobs in the 1990s.
After stints at several local stations, including Kent's Invicta FM, he joined BRMB in Birmingham, where he fronted the shows Late And Live and Jezza's Jukebox.
By 2000, Kyle had carved out a respectable radio career and moved to Virgin Radio and then London's Capital FM, where he hosted his Confessions show, having taken the format with him from Virgin.
The programme was a precursor to what would later inspire his ITV talk show, allowing listeners to call in with their relationship issues and dilemmas while he listened and offered advice.
In July 2005, Kyle was drafted in to host his own talk show on ITV following the departure of Trisha Goddard, who had her own morning programme on the channel.
Reminiscent of The Jerry Springer Show in the US, it was an early hit for tackling issues around traditional family values, and was nominated for a National Television Award (NTA) in 2007 in the most popular factual programme category.
However, it also divided opinion among viewers for its fiery confrontations and rowdy format, with family members airing their dirty laundry on stage in front of an audience while Kyle would watch on.
Kyle would act as mediator to his guests, being either gentle and kind or shouting at them to pull their lives together.
In 2011, Kyle took his programme to the US, but it was cancelled the following year because of poor ratings.
Away from The Jeremy Kyle Show, he acted as a guest presenter on ITV's Good Morning Britain, and fronted a number of other programmes including Military Driving School, Jeremy Kyle's Emergency Room and the game show High Stakes.
In 2009 he released his first book, I'm Only Being Honest, focusing on the UK's social issues and his opinions on how to solve them.
The broadcaster revealed in 2009 that he had obsessive compulsive disorder, admitting that he would often lick his phone to make sure it was clean, among other things.
Former talk show host Jeremy Kyle leaves Winchester Coroner's Court
Mr Kyle was once one of the most famous names in British TV
Following the cancellation of The Jeremy Kyle Show, ITV has said it would continue to work with Kyle on other projects.
However, he had a break from broadcasting on TV. In 2021 when he went back on air with a talkRadio show.
Kyle claimed he had been 'cancelled' before taking on the show.
He has continued at the News UK-owned broadcaster, after it launched the channel TalkTV. It had abandoned linear programming and started an online streaming service called Talk.
Steve Dymond, 63, is believed to have killed himself one week after filming for the programme in May 2019.
Kyle, 59, was accused of 'throwing Mr Dymond under the bus' after he failed a lie detector test, telling him to 'grow a pair of balls' and saying he wouldn't trust him 'with a chocolate button'.
And yesterday Mr Dymond's unaired appearance on The Jeremy Kyle Show was shown for the first time.
The inquest heard that ITV producers joked about Mr Dymond crying.
One member of the programme's team said in a private WhatsApp group that Mr Dymond 'had tears in his eyes twice lol x'.
The inquest heard he left after telling a producer, 'I wish I was dead', according to a private WhatsApp conversation.
Mr Dymond signed up in 2019 to try to prove to his partner Jane Callaghan that he was faithful.
But when the lie detector test concluded he was not telling the truth, Kyle said: 'I wouldn't trust you with a chocolate button, mate.' In the eight-minute clip, Mr Dymond can be seen holding his partner's hand, saying: 'Since we've split up, and got back together, I've never once lied to her.'
When Kyle asks if he loves Jane, Mr Dymond's voice cracks as he says: 'God, to bits. So so much.'
The TV presenter told Winchester Coroner's Court in England that Mr Dymond was just another 'typical' guest and insisted that he showed him 'empathy'.
Giving evidence for the first time, Kyle denied 'belittling' Mr Dymond and claimed he displayed 'care'. Kyle said he had been 'very complimentary' of Mr Dymond, from Portsmouth in Hampshire, and that he tried to calm him down.
During the clips, Kyle tells Mr Dymond: 'I don't think you know what the truth is'. The court this week heard that Mr Dymond died from a combination of a morphine overdose and a heart problem - left ventricular hypertrophy.
Footage shows Kyle entering the stage saying Mr Dymond was accused of telling various lies including fibs about his age, missing Viagra tablets and being in the Royal Navy.
Kyle then tells Mr Dymond, after looking at the lie detector results: 'The test says you're a liar, you failed every single test.'
As Mr Dymond sobs, Kyle tells him: 'Be a man and grow a pair of balls and tell her the god-damn truth.'
On the stand yesterday, Kyle admitted he was 'direct' but said his on-stage behaviour was a 'presenter persona' and that he was 'paid to do a job'.
He also revealed he had never received training to deal with highly charged emotional situations, but said he had 'total faith' in his team.
Giving evidence, Kyle said: 'What I see in those clips is, from the moment Steve Dymond comes out, I was very complimentary. I called him mate, I called him pal, we had a bit of a joke. For me, that's what the show was about: conflict resolution. Yes, it was direct, but it was manufactured...
'You can see empathy and that is, in essence, how I saw it and how I see it. Yes, it was direct, it was also caring.
'I look at those clips and I see that journey.'
Kyle reiterated he had 'no involvement' in the selection process. He continued: 'I hate to say it, to me that was a typical Jeremy Kyle part. Yes, the gentleman was emotional, he had rung 40 to 50 times, he wanted to come on the show and we facilitated that... We did what we always did for 15 years - provide an aftercare service and yes... I moved on to the next guest.'
Kyle said he didn't believe Mr Dymond was 'humiliated' and denied a claim that he called the guest a 'traitor'.
The presenter said he thought he had a 'double security blanket' because Mr Dymond received support from the ITV aftercare team and his GP had written a letter on the guest's request in order to support his application to be on the show.
Asked how much of his presenting was 'artistic', Kyle said: 'I think I was directed a lot because you would be [given] the information the team provided you with.' He also said: 'It was time for him to face up to the truth and he admitted he lied many times... I saw Jane desperate for him to tell her the truth because she loved him. I asked them to give him a round of applause when I left the stage.'
On the 'I wouldn't trust you with a chocolate button' comment, Kyle said he had 'no idea', adding: 'I don't know where that came from.' Kyle said he 'genuinely had great admiration' for guests on his show.
The inquest continues.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit website
ITVJeremy Kyle
Comments
