On May 15, 2019, The Jeremy Kyle Show deservedly disappeared from our television screens following the suspected suicide of former guest Steve Dymond. Dymond, 63, failed a lie detector test on the show and died of a drug overdose just days later. Creators of the shouty show have also been accused of 'exploiting stress' for the sake of entertainment and were told that they had a 'very, very unusual view of the concept of care'.
Despite this, ITV have confirmed that they want to work with Jeremy Kyle once again.
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In May, Damian Collins MP, chair of the digital, culture, media and sport select committee, said: "There needs to be an independent review of the duty of care TV companies have to participants in reality TV shows.
"Programmes like The Jeremy Kyle Show risk putting people who might be vulnerable on to a public stage at a point in their lives when they are unable to foresee the consequences, either for themselves or their families.
"With an increasing demand for this type of programming, we'll be examining broadcasting regulation in this area - is it fit for purpose?"
Jeremy Kyle is said to be 'devastated by recent events' following the death of Steve Dymond and the cancellation of his long-running show.
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Kyle told the BBC: "Myself and the production team I have worked with for the last 14 years are all utterly devastated by the recent events.
"Our thoughts and sympathies are with Steve's family and friends at this incredibly sad time."
Today, a DCMS committee scrutinised the psychological support that's provided to participants in an attempt to see whether duty of care policies are being effectively applied.
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In a dramatic turn of events, ITV bosses admitted that lie detector tests like the one taken by Dymond were not reliable and often produced the wrong results. They were also never told to go and take another test elsewhere in case it was wrong. Creators of the show were also accused of 'exploiting stress' for the sake of entertainment.
One member of the DCMS committee said: "Anyone involved in the making of the show should be ashamed of themselves," before adding that he changed barbers because they used to show the programme.
If, for some strange reason, you still want to see more of Jeremy Kyle then don't worry. ITV bosses admitted that Kyle wouldn't work on another conflict resolution show but that he will return with two new shows in the future.
Featured Image Credit: ITVTopics: UK News, TV and Film, Celebrity, Interesting, UK Entertainment, Jeremy Kyle, ITV