Jeremy Kyle Show death: No clear link between Steve Dymond’s appearance on the show and his suicide – coroner

Published

4 weeks ago

September 10, 2024

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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.

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.”

‘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.

‘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.

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

Entertainment

Jenna Fischer: US Office star reveals ‘aggressive’ cancer diagnosis

Published

10 hours ago

October 9, 2024

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Jenna Fischer: US Office star reveals 'aggressive' cancer diagnosis

Jenna Fischer, who played Pam Beesly in the US Office, has revealed she was diagnosed with an “aggressive” breast cancer in December last year.

The 50-year-old shared a photo of herself in her “patchy pixie” haircut to mark breast cancer awareness month.

“After completing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation I am now cancer free,” she wrote on Instagram.

Fischer said problems were flagged during a routine mammogram, where inconclusive results due to dense tissue led her doctor to order an ultrasound.

“They found something in my left breast,” she said. “A biopsy was ordered. Then, on December 1, 2023, I learned I had Stage 1 Triple Positive Breast Cancer.”

The actress noted the cancer is “aggressive… but highly responsive to treatment,” and said she underwent a lumpectomy.

“Luckily my cancer was caught early and it hadn’t spread,” Fischer said, before adding she had 12 rounds of weekly chemotherapy from February and had three weeks of radiation treatment in June.

“While I continue to be treated with infusions of Herceptin and a daily dose of Tamoxifen, I’m happy to say I’m feeling great.”

She urged her followers to get their annual mammograms, adding: “My tumour was so small it could not be felt on a physical exam.

“If I had waited six months longer, things could have been much worse. It could have spread… Consider this your kick in the butt to get it done.”

Read more from Sky News:
What we know about Hurricane Milton
Al Pacino reveals he nearly died

Angela Kinsey, who played Angela Martin in The Office and co-hosts the Office Ladies podcast with Fischer, commented on the post: “I love you and I’m so glad you’re sharing. I got your back, always.

Ellie Kemper, who also starred in The Office as Erin Hannon, commented: “We love you, Jenna. Thank you for sharing and for inspiring.”

And Olivia Munn, known for her roles in New Girl, The Newsroom and X-Men: Apocalypse, who revealed her own breast cancer diagnosis earlier this year, said: “You already know how much I love you and how incredibly proud of you I am.

“But I just want to say it again; I love you and by sharing your story you’re helping so many women and saving so many lives. You’re just the best.”

Entertainment

Miranda Hart announces marriage after ‘tough few years’

Published

16 hours ago

October 9, 2024

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Miranda Hart announces marriage after 'tough few years'

Miranda Hart has shared she’s become a “young bride at 51” after marrying her “best friend”.

The actress and comedian announced the news on The One Show while promoting her new book, I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You.

Hart also said she had had “a tough few years” after being diagnosed with Lyme disease, telling Alex Jones and Alex Scott “I’ve mainly been in bed,” but added it “hasn’t been all doom and gloom… someone put a ring on it”.

“I got married at 51, and it’s just so lovely,” she told the BBC programme.

Hart, who starred in her self-titled sitcom from 2009 to 2015, added she met her husband during the COVID-19 pandemic and while battling “chronic illness when I couldn’t get out of bed or get out of the house”.

“I’d written Gary for on-screen Miranda and it wasn’t until I was 49 that I met my person, and I met him and it’s a little undercurrent in the book.”

She joked that Tom Ellis, who played Gary, was not her husband.

“I’m not going to reveal how we met as that is a little bit of a twist,” she said. “He’s my best friend, we have the best fun and I’m just thrilled to be a young bride at 51.”

After appearing on The One Show, Hart posted on social media to thank supporters for their well-wishes, which she found “really very touching”.

The actress said: “I’ve got my best friend to do life with and it’s wonderful and I’m also utterly thrilled to be back in telly land and having a book out so thanks so much for all your support.”

In the video, she then high-fives her husband – who is just out of frame – and jokes that fans got an “exclusive – his hand”.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread to humans by infected ticks. Symptoms usually present as a circular or oval rash and flu-like symptoms, according to the NHS.

Some people who are diagnosed with Lyme disease continue to have symptoms including tiredness, aches and loss of energy for years.

Hart’s new book, published by Penguin Books, will be released on 10 October.

Entertainment

London Film Festival: Steve McQueen’s Blitz offers view of war ‘through child’s eyes’

Published

19 hours ago

October 9, 2024

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London Film Festival: Steve McQueen's Blitz offers view of war 'through child's eyes'

Oscar-winning filmmaker Sir Steve McQueen hopes his new film will get “people off their iPhones” and “refocus our gaze” on what war is like for the children who live through it.

His new movie Blitz, set in wartime London and starring Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, will open this year’s London Film Festival later today.

In the film, Ronan plays a mum who, after having her son George evacuated to the countryside for his safety, ends up frantically searching the streets for him after learning he’s defiantly come home.

Eliott Heffernan plays the nine-year-old with much of the story told from his perspective.

Speaking to Sky News, McQueen set out what he hopes his latest movie will bring to audiences worldwide as he said: “Seeing war through a child’s eyes, at what point do we as adults look away?”

While it’s an idea the 12 Years A Slave director has been working on for over a decade, he admitted it certainly feels “even more urgent” to be showing Blitz now as the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and beyond rage on.

McQueen says his young protagonist was inspired by a picture he discovered while researching the Blitz.

“I saw this photograph, a boy with an oversized coat and a very large suitcase standing in a railway station waiting to be evacuated, this black child, and I thought ‘that’s my in’.”

The film offers a much more diverse depiction of wartime London than audiences will perhaps have seen before, with characters like Ife – a Nigerian air raid warden – based on real individuals meticulously researched by McQueen’s team.

He says: “I’m not interested in pointing anything out, I’m just interested in telling the truth… central London was quite cosmopolitan.

“It was kind of an everyday occurrence. Ife, our character, did exist, he patrolled the Marylebone area… So it’s not a case, as my son says, of flexing, it’s a case of just telling the truth.”

From the sound of bombs getting closer, to the scramble to find shelters, the film sets out to give a true sense of the terror and chaos of war for those on the ground. It’s set in the past but, the director hopes, it’s just as relevant now.

“Hopefully, you know, it can help in one way, shape or form… and take people off their iPhones for five minutes or so,” he adds.

Blitz is the opening movie at this year’s BFI London Film Festival. It will be released in cinemas on 1 November and globally on Apple TV+ on 22 November.