Jeremy Kyle has spoken out amid the backlash surrounding a new Channel 4 documentary about his controversial former daytime talk show.
Death On Daytime – a two-part documentary about the culture surrounding The Jeremy Kyle Show and the suicide of 2019 guest Steve Dymond, which led to the long-running show’s cancellation by ITV – aired its first instalment on Sunday night.
The show features interviews with former members of the production team, re-enacted by actors, some of whom claimed that vulnerable guests were deliberately goaded or manipulated by the crew to make for more salacious viewing when they went on stage.
During Monday’s edition of his talkRadio show, Jeremy began by addressing what he referred to as the “elephant in the room”.
“[I’ve had] a couple of texts already talking about a certain programme that was on television last night,” he told listeners. “Yes, I am fully aware.”
He continued: “I will say only this, my friends, to you. I have maintained a consistent approach over the last three years. I have said that I will not comment on the tragic death of Steve Dymond until the legal process is finished, and that is a position that I will maintain.
“When, and trust me there will be a time after the inquest, when it is proper for me to have my say, because there are two sides to every story. I will do it here, and I will do it to you, and that is the most important thing.”
In response to allegations made in the show, an ITV rep dismissed claims of a “bad culture” on The Jeremy Kyle Show, insisting: “ITV would never condone any of its production staff misleading or lying to guests.”
A statement from ITV previously said (via Metro): “The Jeremy Kyle Show was broadcast for 14 years. In that time, more than 20,000 people took part in the show seeking help to resolve relationship issues, or to address drug or alcohol related problems. The central purpose of the show was conflict resolution, and the show achieved many positive outcomes where people were able to resolve personal problems.
“The Jeremy Kyle Show had extensive and detailed duty of care processes in place for contributors built up over 14 years. It had a dedicated guest welfare team of mental healthcare professionals with decades of experience in NHS mental healthcare, who were focused on the welfare of guests throughout the production process.
“Guests were supported by the programme and welfare teams prior to filming, throughout filming and after filming. Should they require ongoing help then appropriate solutions were found for them, which could include residential rehabilitation, counselling, anger management, family mediation, child access mediation or couples counselling.”
Both episodes of Jeremy Kyle: Death On Daytime are available to watch now on All 4.