TV host Jeremy Kyle is expected to give evidence at an inquest into the death of Steve Dymond, who died shortly after failing a lie detector test on his show in May 2019.
The presenter was previously made an interested person to the inquest by the coroner because “he may have caused or contributed” to Mr Dymond’s death.
Steve Dymond
The digger driver from Portsmouth died of a morphine overdose and heart problem seven days after appearing on the show. He was found dead in his bedroom at his home.
He had taken a lie detector test for the show after being accused of cheating on his ex-fiancee Jane Callaghan, from Gosport.
The court was told Mr Dymond had considered jumping out of the taxi on his way home from filming and felt “life was not worth living”.
Claire Overman, representing Mr Dymond’s brother, Leslie Dymond, and son, Carl Woolley, told a preliminary hearing at Winchester that Leslie Dymond said that his brother had told him that the audience had “booed and hissed” at him.
He had also been “followed off stage by Mr Kyle and two cameramen, one right next to him when he sat off stage” and had the results of the lie detector test “pushed right in his face”.
Video evidence from the programme, which never aired, showed Kyle calling Mr Dymond a “serial liar,” but Ms Overman said claims he had also called him a “traitor and a failure” were not backed up by footage.
Ms Overman added that Mr Dymond had told his brother that he was “incredibly stressed”, in tears and on the “point of collapsing”.
She said his brother also said Mr Dymond had told him that he was “completely broken” and was “consumed by what happened on the show” and had talked about considering “jumping out of the taxi on the way home”.
Ms Overman continued that Mr Dymond’s brother had also described him as appearing “brainwashed,” and that he believed himself to be “worthless” and unable to “go on living”.
Steve Dymond’s funeral at Kingston Cemetery in Portsmouth. Pic. PA
Neil Sheldon KC, representing Mr Kyle, said that it was a “misleading and inaccurate account” based on hearsay and that footage from the show showed the reality of what happened.
Hampshire coroner Jason Pegg said that Leslie Dymond had been ruled as medically unfit to attend the full inquest, but that a written statement will be submitted as evidence and judged on its reliability.
The inquest will primarily look at the circumstances of Mr Dymond’s life between 14 March, 2019, and 9 May, 2019, taking in his involvement with the ITV show but also his personal relationships, including the break down of his relationship with Jane Callaghan.
Mr Pegg said: “This inquest must focus on the death of Steve Dymond, other matters or other systemic issues that may or may not have existed at the time in relation to other production companies or programmes on TV.
“The inquest will focus on the processes in place with regards to his selection, his attendance for filming and the after-care in filming, the other systemic issues are not.”
Rachel Spearing, who has been appointed as counsel to the inquest, said that the coroner had ruled that the case would not be “a roving inquiry into practices of reality television”.
Ms Spearing said: “The scope will review the deceased’s interaction with his GP and his acceptance and participation in the Jeremy Kyle Show.
“We will be reviewing Mr Dymond’s participation in the show as far as it is relevant to his mental state including the lie detector and the after-care provided and that involves the role of the production company and ITV.”
She added that Mr Dymond’s history of mental health issues would also be examined.
Jeremy Kyle. Pic: Channel 4/ITV/Shutterstock
In addition, the inquest has been given access to footage from the 2022 Channel 4 documentary into Mr Dymond’s death, Jeremy Kyle Show: Death on Daytime.
Following Mr Dymond’s death, and the death of other high-profile TV contestants including former ITV Love Island contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis, media watchdog Ofcom brought out new rules to protect the welfare of people on TV and radio.
The new standards have been applied to all programmes using participants from the general public made after 5 April 2021.
Following Mr Dymond’s death, ITV bosses permanently cancelled The Jeremy Kyle Show. It had run for 17 series and had previously been the channel’s most popular daytime offering.
The full inquest will take place from Tuesday 3 September to Monday 9 September at Winchester Coroner’s Court.
Sky News has contacted Jeremy Kyle for comment.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK