A top ITV boss told staff that taking The Jeremy Kyle Show off air was “the best way to protect” the programme, a leaked email has revealed.
Dame Carolyn McCall addressed ITV workers following the decision to suspend the daytime series on Monday after a participant died shortly after filming an episode.
As reported by The Sun, the death of 63-year-old Steve Dymond came after he took a lie-detector test during the recording of the show to convince fiancee Jane Callaghan he had not been unfaithful, but they split after he failed.
In the company-wide email, which was published by Press Association, McCall said it “was a very difficult decision to make” to halt filming and broadcasting of the show, but that they felt it would be “inappropriate to continue to broadcast the show when a participant on it has so recently died”.
She said: “This decision is not in any way a reflection on the show, but the best way we think we can protect the show and the production team from the reaction we expect to this death.”
The company-wide message also stated that ITV Studios’ managing director Julian Bellamy would travel to Manchester, where the talk show is filmed, to meet with the production team.
The email added that “everyone involved” will be offered support from the Employee Assistance Programme, as well as access to counsellors.
The email comes amid increasing pressure for ITV to pull The Jeremy Kyle Show altogether, amid concern for how it looks after its guests.
Tory MP Charles Walker, a vice-chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on suicide and self-harm prevention, told the Daily Mail: “On reflection, ITV would be best advised just to stop it. It’s a very, very unattractive TV show and I’m surprised it’s gone on so long.”
The Jeremy Kyle Show is a main-stay of the ITV daytime schedule, having aired each weekday since 2005.
It has come under a lot of scrutiny during its 14 years on air, with one judge notably branding it “human bear-baiting” in 2007, following an incident in which one guest head-butted another.
After the decision was made to pull Monday’s show from the schedules, all previous episodes were taken down from the on-demand ITV Hub service.
Useful websites and helplines:
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.)
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.uk
- Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927 (open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on www.rethink.org.