Jeremy Kyle Gives Evidence at Inquest into Death of Steve Dymond
Jeremy Kyle has appeared at court to give evidence in the ongoing inquest into the death of Steve Dymond, a guest who appeared on his TV chat show. Mr. Dymond, a 63-year-old from Portsmouth, took his own life just seven days after filming an episode of The Jeremy Kyle Show in May 2019.
Mr. Dymond had participated in a lie detector test on the show after being accused of infidelity by his partner, Jane Callaghan, from Gosport. The inquest heard that after the show’s recording, the aftercare team contacted Mr. Dymond, exchanging text messages in which he expressed his intention to “stay positive.”
Winchester Coroner’s Court has been told that Mr. Dymond died at his home from a morphine overdose combined with heart complications, specifically left ventricular hypertrophy.
On Thursday, Jeremy Kyle arrived to provide his testimony. The court was previously informed that Mr. Dymond had repeatedly contacted ITV, calling 40 to 50 times in "desperate" attempts to appear on the show. Despite his history of depression and four previous overdose attempts, Mr. Dymond’s second application to the show was accepted after initially being rejected due to his mental health disclosure.
Footage presented in court showed Mr. Dymond being briefed on the lie detector test by a polygraph examiner. In the video, Mr. Dymond is told the test is "95% accurate" but comes with a "narrow risk of error." The examiner explained that failing one question would result in failing the entire test.
Chris Wissun, ITV's former director of content compliance, testified that Mr. Dymond was provided with information about the lie detector and the importance of being truthful. He confirmed that Jeremy Kyle was not aware of the test results until they were revealed live on air, a process designed to heighten the show's drama.
During cross-examination, Mr. Wissun was asked if Mr. Kyle had ever been instructed to modify his presenting style when dealing with vulnerable guests like Mr. Dymond. He responded that no such requests had been made but acknowledged that Mr. Kyle was "responsive to guidance" from the aftercare team.
The court also heard that Mr. Dymond’s first application had been drafted with a proposed headline: "Missing Viagra and lies about being in the Navy, are you a cheat?" Mr. Wissun added that despite Mr. Dymond's depressive disorder, the lie detector was a long-standing feature of the show, and many guests applied specifically to take the test, just as Mr. Dymond had.
The inquest continues as the court explores the welfare processes involved and the aftercare provided to guests.
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