ITV confirms The Jeremy Kyle Show has been axed
The daytime show has been cancelled permanently following the death of a guest
ITV has confirmed that The Jeremy Kyle Show has been axed following the death of a guest.
The ITV daytime series was initially suspended on Monday 13th May. However, on Wednesday 15th May, ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall confirmed that the show would be cancelled permanently.
"Given the gravity of recent events we have decided to end production of The Jeremy Kyle Show," she said in a statement.
"The Jeremy Kyle Show has had a loyal audience and has been made by a dedicated production team for 14 years, but now is the right time for the show to end.
“Everyone at ITV's thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of Steve Dymond."
Dymond was found dead on 9th May after reportedly taking part in a lie detector test during recording for the show.
ITV removed the programme from the schedules on Monday 13th May and announced that filming and future broadcasts would be suspended "with immediate effect" while an investigation into the episode featuring Dymond was carried out.
ITV has said that this review of the show would continue. The broadcaster has also confirmed that it will continue to work with presenter Jeremy Kyle on other projects.
A petition calling for the show to be permanently cancelled had been signed by 62,697 people at the time of writing. The petition claims that The Jeremy Kyle Show has "turned the real-life suffering of people into entertainment".
ITV's statement on The Jeremy Kyle Show
"Given the gravity of recent events we have decided to end production of The Jeremy Kyle Show," ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall said.
"The Jeremy Kyle Show has had a loyal audience and has been made by a dedicated production team for 14 years, but now is the right time for the show to end.
"Everyone at ITV's thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of Steve Dymond."
The previously announced review of the episode of the show is underway and will continue.
ITV will continue to work with Jeremy Kyle on other projects.
Damian Collins MP, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee, had called on Ofcom to carry out an independent review of the programme.
ITV had defended the show's welfare policies, saying in a statement on Tuesday 14th May: "The Jeremy Kyle Show has significant and detailed duty of care processes in place for contributors pre, during and post-show which have been built up over 14 years, and there have been numerous positive outcomes from this, including parties who have resolved complex and long-standing personal problems."
The Jeremy Kyle Show was one of the most popular programmes in ITV's daytime schedules, with regular viewing figures of over one million.
Previous episodes of the show have been removed from catch-up service ITV Hub.
