Jeremy Kyle Show death: No clear link between Steve Dymond’s appearance on the show and his suicide – coroner
There is “no clear link” between the appearance of a guest on The Jeremy Kyle Show and his suicide, a coroner has concluded.
Steve Dymond, 63, was found dead at his home in Portsmouth, Hampshire, in May 2019, seven days after taking part in the show.
Pic: Kyle backstage with Steve Dymond. Pic: PA
Hampshire coroner Jason Pegg said there was “an absence of reliable evidence” that the events on the show directly led to his death.
Mr Pegg also concluded there was “insufficient evidence” that Jeremy Kyle contributed to Mr Dymond’s adverse mental state.
A representative for Kyle said the conclusion had “exonerated” the presenter, allowing his name to be “cleared,” adding that the case “had taken a huge toll on him and his family”.
In a statement, delivered outside court by solicitors for Mr Dymond’s family, his son Carl Woolley said the “only good thing” that has come from his father’s death was that The Jeremy Kyle Show was cancelled.
‘Speculative’ to say Kyle caused Mr Dymond’s death
Coroner Jason Pegg said he had considered the evidence to determine whether “the comments and treatment by the presenter during [Mr Dymond’s] participation in the recording of the show contributed to his adverse mental state.”
He said there was “insufficient evidence” to be “satisfied that this was the direct cause of [Mr Dymond’s] distress.”
Mr Pegg told the Winchester inquest: “Having considered the evidence carefully there is an absence of reliable evidence that demonstrates that Steven Dymond’s appearance on the Jeremy Kyle Show probably caused or contributed to his death. To do so would be speculative.
“I am not satisfied that events on Jeremy Kyle Show gave rise to a clear link that caused or contributed to the death of Steven Dymond such that I should be recording this as a contributing factor.
“Steven Dymond had a history of a diagnosed personality disorder and mental illness which presented on a number of occasions before any appearance of the Jemery Kyle Show and resulted in Steve Dymond self-harming or displaying thoughts of suicide.”
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Steve Dymond finds out lie detector results
‘No dissatisfaction’ over treatment during filming
Mr Pegg went on to say: “[Mr Dymond’s] decision to take his own life was made in the context of his mental distress that was probably exacerbated by his belief that a significant relationship had now irretrievably broken down following his participation on a television programme where it had been suggested that the deceased had lied to his partner.”
Mr Dymond had taken a lie detector test for the ITV programme after being accused of cheating on his ex-fiancee Jane Callaghan. Clips from the unaired show were played during the inquest.
The court were told that Mr Dymond had been “booed” by the audience at the reveal of the test results, and told a researcher after filming had finished: “I wish I was dead.”
Mr Dymond was later described to the court as being left “broken” and “distraught” after appearing on the show.
Noting ITV’s aftercare support, offered after filming, the coroner said: “Aftercare records indicate [Mr Dymond] was ’emotionally contained’ and expressed no dissatisfaction towards his treatment during the recording with a plan for follow up CBT [cognitive behavioural therapy] support.”
The court heard that the last known contact with Mr Dymond was on the evening of 6 May 2019. He was found dead in his room three days later.
He had left notes to his family indicating his intention to take his own life.
Jeremy Kyle leaves Winchester Coroner’s Court.
Pic: PA
‘A huge toll’ on Kyle and his family
A statement on behalf of Kyle, issued after the inquest conclusion, said: “His Majesty’s Coroner has today clearly and unequivocally found that Jeremy Kyle did not in any way cause or contribute to the tragic suicide of Steve Dymond. He is now exonerated of that ill-informed accusation and his name has finally been cleared.
“Out of respect for the family of Mr Dymond and the judicial process, Jeremy has always maintained that it would be inappropriate to discuss details whilst the legal inquest was ongoing and he has remained steadfastly silent in the face of lies, false accusations and unfair criticism over the last 5 1/2 years.”
It went on: “This has taken a huge toll on him and his family and he would like to thank everyone who has truly supported him through these tough times.”
A coroner found that Mr Dymond had died of a combination of a morphine overdose and a heart condition, and his cause of death was suicide.
Jeremy Kyle. Pic: Channel 4/ITV/Shutterstock
In a statement, read outside the inquest by one of Mr Dymond’s family solicitors, his son Carl Woolley said: “It has been five years since my father died.
“In my view anyone watching the clips of the show would see that he was in tears, and spoken to in the most brutal way by Jeremy Kyle.
“The coroner has recorded that the lie detector test, in which Jeremy Kyle believes in so strongly, can have an accuracy of 60-96%.
“The only good thing that came from my father’s death is that The Jeremy Kyle Show is cancelled.”
‘Be a man, grow a pair’
Giving evidence earlier in the week, presenter Jeremy Kyle defended both his chat show and his presenting style, telling the court he neither “humiliated” or “belittled” Mr Dymond, insisting he had “de-escalated” the situation and “calmed it down”.
Clips played in court including Mr Kyle telling Mr Dymond: “Be a man, grow a pair of balls and tell her the goddam truth.”
Another featured the 59-year-old presenter asking: “Has anyone got a shovel?” as Mr Dymond attempted to explain why he had been messaging another woman.
A further clip showed Kyle saying: “The studio thought you were telling the truth, I wouldn’t trust you with a chocolate button, mate.”
The Jeremy Kyle Show first aired in 2005 and ran for 17 series before it was cancelled on 10 May 2019, the day after Mr Dymond’s death.
It was ITV’s most popular daytime programme.
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
Despite The Who’s Quadrophenia being set over 60 years ago, Pete Townshend’s themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.
The album is having a renaissance as Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia A Mod ballet is being brought to life via dance at Sadler’s Wells East, and Sky News has an exclusive first look.
As Townshend puts it, the album he wrote is “perfect” for the stage.
Pete Townshend
“My wife Rachel did the orchestration for me, and as soon as I heard it I said to her it would make a fabulous ballet and we never really let that go,” he tells Sky News.
“Heavy percussion, concussive sequences. They’re explosive moments. They’re also romantic movement moments.”
If you identify with the demographics of Millennial, Gen Y or Gen Z, you might not be familiar with The Who and Mod culture.
But in post-war Britain the Mods were a cultural phenomenon characterised by fashion, music, and of course, scooters. The young rebels were seen as a counter-culture to the establishment and The Who, with Roger Daltry’s lead vocals and Pete Townshend’s writing, were the soundtrack.
Quadrophenia the album is widely regarded as an essay on the British adolescent experience at the time, focusing on the life of fictional protagonist Jimmy – a young Mod struggling with his sanity, self-doubt, and alienation.
Townshend sets the rock opera in 1965 but thinks its themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.
He says: “The phobias and the restrictions and the unwritten laws about how young men should behave. The ground that they broke, that we broke because I was a part of it.
“Men were letting go of [the] wartime-related, uniform-related stance that if I wear this kind of outfit it makes me look like a man.”
Paris Fitzpatrick and Pete Townshend. Pic: Johan Persson
This struggle of modern masculinity and identity appears to be echoing today as manosphere influencers like Andrew Tate, incel culture, and Netflix’s Adolescence make headlines.
For dancer Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy, the story resonates.
Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy in the ballet
“I think there’s a connection massively and I think there may even be a little more revival in some way,” he tells Sky News.
“I love that myself. I love non-conforming to gender norms and typical masculinity; I think it’s great to challenge things.”
Despite the album being written before he was born, the dancer says he was familiar with the genre already.
“I actually did an art GCSE project about Mods and rockers and Quadrophenia,” he says.
“I think we’ll be able to bring it to new audiences and hopefully, maybe people will be inspired to to learn more about their music and the whole cultural movement of the early 60s.”
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In 1979, the album was adapted into a film directed by Franc Roddam starring Ray Winstone and Sting but Townshend admits because the film missed key points he is “not a big fan”.
“What it turned out to be in the movie was a story about culture, about social scenario and less about really the specifics of mental illness and how that affects young people,” he adds, also complimenting Roddam’s writing for the film.
Perhaps a testament to Pete Townshend’s creativity, Quadrophenia started as an album, was successfully adapted to film and now it will hit the stage as a contemporary ballet.
It appears that over six decades later Mod culture is still cool and their issues still relatable.
Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet will tour to Plymouth Theatre Royal from 28 May to 1 June 2025, Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 10 to 14 June 2025 and the Mayflower, Southampton from 18 to 21 June 2025 before having its official opening at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London on 24 June running to 13 July 2025 and then visiting The Lowry, Salford from 15 to 19 July 2025.
Russell Brand has been charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault between 1999 and 2005.
The Metropolitan Police say the 50-year-old comedian, actor and author has also been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of indecent assault.
The charges relate to four women.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 2 May.
Police have said Brand is accused of raping a woman in the Bournemouth area in 1999 and indecently assaulting a woman in the Westminster area of London in 2001.
He is also accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Westminster in 2004.
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Ashna Hurynag discusses Russell Brand’s charges
The fourth charge alleges that a woman was sexually assaulted in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.
Police began investigating Brand, from Oxfordshire, in September 2023 after receiving a number of allegations.
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The comedian has denied the accusations and said he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.
He added in a video on X: “Of course, I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers.
“The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police.”
Tom Cruise has paid tribute to Val Kilmer, wishing his Top Gun co-star “well on the next journey”.
Cruise, speaking at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, asked for a moment’s silence to reflect on the “wonderful” times shared with the star, whom he called a “dear friend”.
Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, rocketed to fame starring alongside Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a rival fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick.
Tom Cruise said ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP
Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP
His last part was a cameo role in the 2022 blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
Cruise, on stage at Caesars Palace on Thursday, said: “I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick.
“I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.
“I wish you well on the next journey.”
The moment of silence followed a string of tributes from Hollywood figures including Cher, Francis Ford Coppola, Antonio Banderas and Michelle Monaghan.
Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes told the New York Times on Wednesday that the actor had died from pneumonia.
Tom Cruise at Caesars Palace on Thursday. Pic: AP
Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, Kilmer discussed his illness and recovery in his 2020 memoir Your Huckleberry and Amazon Prime documentary Val.
He underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the disease and also had a tracheostomy which damaged his vocal cords and permanently gave him a raspy speaking voice.
Kilmer played Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors.
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He also starred in True Romance and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, as well as playing criminal Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s 1995 movie Heat and Doc Holliday in the 1993 film Tombstone.
In 1988 he married British actress Joanne Whalley, whom he met while working on fantasy adventure Willow.
The couple had two children before divorcing in 1996.
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