Steve Dymond's Suicide Gets 'Jeremy Kyle Show' Canceled by ITV

The cancellation of the “Jeremy Kyle Show” followed the death of a guest, Steve Dymond, after he failed a lie detector test on the show.

Britain’s famous daytime television show, Jeremy Kyle Show,” was canceled on Wednesday, after a guest, who failed a lie-detector test, took his own life.

While the program can never be fully liable for what happens to their guests next, the incident sparked debate for confrontational talk shows’ impact and responsibility to their guests and even to the audience.

THE END FOR “JEREMY KYLE SHOW”

ITV announced the cancellation of the hit television program which ran for more than 14 years and had over a million viewers per day. The decision derived from the “gravity of recent events,” said Carolyn McCall, ITV’s chief executive.

“Given the gravity of recent events, we have decided to end production of The Jeremy Kyle Show,” read ITV’s official statement. “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 under way and will continue.”

MR. DYMOND’S EPISODE

63-year-old Steve Dymond was found dead in his home in southern England on May 9. He reportedly took his own life after failing a lie-detector test to see if he had been unfaithful to his fiancee earlier this month.

A person from the audience verifies that Dymond “collapsed to the ground” and was “sobbing” shortly after failing the lie-detector test, which is a regular feature on the program. His episode has not been aired.

Lie detectors usually measure patterns in breathing in movement through various instruments to detect a change after answering a question.

AFTERMATH OF GUESTS

Other similar talk shows around the globe have had similar incidents after guests were put on the spot, yet nothing has come quite close to suicide. In 1995, a guest of “The Jenny Jones Show” was murdered by his friend after admitting that he had a crush on his friend.

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.” Programs as the Jeremy Kyle Show are “putting people who might be vulnerable on to a public stage at a point in their lives where they are unable to foresee the consequences.”

LIE DETECTORS

Lie detectors usually measure patterns in breathing in movement through various instruments to detect a change after answering a question. A similar tool was used for Dino Sajudin, a doorman at the Trump Organization, to know if the president has an illegitimate child.

Fortunately, Sajudin passed the test, and the allegations and rumors died down. Trump claimed to have only five children, all known to the public.