‘He really laid into me’: Father's message to Telford son after Jeremy Kyle filming
The Jeremy Kyle Show has been axed by ITV – as it was revealed a participant who died had links to Shropshire.
Steve Dymond apparently took his own life after appearing on the show, telling his son the host “really laid into me”.
Mr Dymond, who for a time lived in Roden, Shropshire, took a lie-detector test to convince fiancee Jane Callaghan he had not been unfaithful, but was told he had failed.
His son Carl Woolley, 39, still lives in Telford.
He said his father had been “distraught” over the breakdown of his relationship and hoped the show would help him “clear his name”.
Outcry
News of Mr Dymond’s death prompted an outcry and ITV decided to end the confrontational programme for good.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman described the incident as “deeply concerning”, while MPs on an influential Commons committee discussed the case.
The broadcaster’s chief executive, Dame Carolyn McCall, addressed the issue in an email to ITV staff.
“This was a very difficult decision to make but we felt that it would be inappropriate to continue to broadcast the show when a participant on it has so recently died,” she wrote.
“This decision is 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 this reaction we expect to this death.”
Kyle was filmed near his home in Windsor on Tuesday, although is yet to comment personally.
The episode featuring Mr Dymond and Ms Callaghan is said to have been filmed earlier this month.
'Distraught'
Mr Woolley was reportedly contacted by a concerned relative after Mr Dymond was left in a highly emotional state following the recording.
“I called after he got home from filming the episode,” Mr Wooley said.
“He was distraught over the break-up of the relationship. He had gone on the show solely to clear his name (about allegedly cheating on Ms Callaghan) but he said it had gone wrong because of the lie detector test.”
Referring to his father by his first name, Mr Woolley said: “Steve told me ‘Kyle really laid into me’.
Presumably that was at the point when they announced the lie detector result.”
Prior to the phone call, the father and son are said to have not spoken for seven years and had not seen each other in person for 36 years.
Mr Dymond’s body was found at an address in Grafton St, Portsmouth, on May 9.
Hampshire Police said the death is not being treated as suspicious and a file was being prepared for the coroner.
Arrest warrant
It emerged on Tuesday that Mr Dymond had been the subject of an arrest warrant after he failed to attend a court hearing for non-payment of a fine.
He was originally ordered to pay nearly £6,000 in compensation to two finance companies in 1997 at Poole Magistrates’ Court.
And in February, Mr Dymond had been due to attend a hearing at Southampton Magistrates’ Court for the non-payment of a fine of £4,329.
After he failed to attend the hearing, a warrant was issued for his arrest. On Tuesday, Downing Street and Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright said TV firms must support participants in their shows.
A spokesman for the Ofcom broadcasting watchdog said Mr Dymond’s death was “very distressing”.
He added: “Although we can only assess content that has been broadcast, we are discussing this programme with ITV as a priority to understand what took place.”
An ITV spokeswoman said: “Prior to the show a comprehensive assessment is carried out by the guest welfare team on all potential contributors.
“The guests are interviewed by guest welfare face-to-face at studios and prior to filming.”
