S Poddar
Jeremy Kyle, the former host of “The Jeremy Kyle Show,” has denied humiliating Steve Dymond, a 63-year-old guest who died from an overdose after appearing on his show. The inquest into Dymond’s death revealed that he was battling a combination of drug overdose and a pre-existing heart condition when he was found dead in May 2019 at his Portsmouth home.
At the time of death, Dymond was 63 and had a history of suicide attempts. His appearance on the show was meant to prove his devotion to partner Jane Callaghan through a lie detector test. The inquest, held in Winchester, included footage from the show where Kyle tells Dymond to “grow a pair” and says: “I wouldn’t trust you with a chocolate button.”
The video played at the inquest showed a visibly distressed Dymond as the results of the lie detector test were revealed to the stunned studio audience. Kyle was called to testify and said he felt he was trying to “de-escalate” what was happening between Dymond and Callaghan. He described how the audience reacted as the lie detector results were wheeled out, showing Dymond failing every question. The audience reaction, combined with the results, sent Dymond into despair and visibly emotional with an outburst from Callaghan, who left the studio in tears.
Kyle focused his testimony on how he acted to de-escalate the situation, repeatedly referring to Dymond throughout the exchange as “mate” and “pal.” He said time and again that the show’s focus was on conflict resolution and that he’d done his part in diffusing tension by moving the confrontation backstage.
Inquest counsel Rachel Spearing asked the presenter if he felt Dymond was humiliated on the show. Kyle replied, stating that he was far from thinking Dymond was humiliated, while denying calling him a “traitor,” contrary to press reports from media outlets. He maintained once more that the episode in question merely was typical of the show’s kind whereby heated moments were part of the nature of the program.
Kyle further added that the show’s policy had always been to clear every guest appearance in advance with a doctor’s permission. Kyle wrote that Dymond had gained a medical professional’s permission to take part in the show and shared the fact that aftercare was available to everyone through the show.
The inquest had earlier been told it was Dymond who initiated the idea to go on the show, motivated by the need to prove he was faithful to Callaghan. However, the court also learned that Dymond was very disturbed with the audience reaction, which included being “booed” and “heckled.”
But after the show had been recorded, Dymond’s mental state took a serious turn for the worse. His son, Carl Woolley, said that his father was “very down” after the filming. Woolley accused Kyle of manipulating audience reaction against his dad through character assassination before he could defend himself against accusations of cheating on his partner. Woolley has also maintained that his father always denied the allegations of cheating.
The inquiry also discovered Dymond’s mental health struggles. His general practitioner, Dr. Amjad Rehman, testified that Dymond was fighting depression and personality disorder and had tried to take his life on several occasions. However, in a letter written by Dr. Rehman at Dymond’s request, he indicated that since Dymond’s mood was better upon reunion with Callaghan, because of which he was able to make an appearance on the show.
The investigation into the death of Steve Dymond is ongoing, as the inquest continues with hearings to determine what exactly happened that led to his tragic death. His death reignited the debate over the responsibilities of reality television shows when it comes to taking care of the welfare of participants, especially those with pre-existing vulnerabilities.
Note: If you – or someone you know – have a similar situation to what was described in this article, there are ways to get help through helplines and mental health services.
