After news broke on Monday that The Jeremy Kyle Show show had been axed, more details surrounding the circumstances have been reported.
At the time an ITV spokesperson confirmed the show had been suspended indefinitely, saying they’d decided to stop both filming and broadcasting after a guest died shortly after recording for the show.
ITV confirmed the episode in question wouldn’t air, as a review into the circumstances takes place. All previous episodes have also been removed from online.
Now a leaked email from an ITV exec reveals it was taken off air to ‘protect’ both the show and the staff who work on it.
Since Monday it’s been widely reported that 63-year-old Steve Dymond died from an overdose in a suspected suicide, days after he had finished filming for the show.
He was found at his home in Portsmouth after defending accusations that he had cheated on his fiance. He failed a lie detector test after being certain he would pass.
According to his friends, he was completely devastated and they feared he’d take his own life.
NEW: In email to staff about the suspension of The Jeremy Kyle Show after the death of a participant, ITV management says the decision to take it off the air “not in any way a reflection on the show, but the best way we think we can protect the show…" pic.twitter.com/uABG1qn1Rm
— Mark Di Stefano ?? (@MarkDiStef) May 14, 2019
BuzzFeed journalist Mark Di Stefano tweeted a leaked email from ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall yesterday, in which she explains that the decision to take Jeremy Kyle off air was ‘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.’
She went on to explain that they will wrap up a review into the incident ‘as soon as they can’, and that staff involved will be given access to counsellors for support.
People were quick to slam the tone of the email, saying it lacked empathy:
Protect the show and staff...but not vulnerable people who go on to kill themselves? Marvellous...?
— kernow25 (@kernow25) May 14, 2019
Who knew there was such a thing as the moral lowground?
— Julian Shea (@juliansheasport) May 14, 2019
So they don't care too much about the man who died, about those who have been victimised in the name of entertainment, they just care about the show. And presumably the money it makes.
— Mick Walsh (@MickWalsh63) May 14, 2019
More details as we get them.