ITV boss says broadcaster will not do a show like Jeremy Kyle again

The Jeremy Kyle Show was cancelled last year after outcry following the death of Steve Dymond
The ITV chief executive faced criticism over The Jeremy Kyle Show
ITV
Kimberley Bond14 July 2020

Chief Executive of ITV Dame Carolyn McCall has said the channel will not do a programme like The Jeremy Kyle Show again.

The 58-year-old, who joined ITV in 2018, made the comments as she faced MPs during an inquiry into the future of public service broadcasting, in which the conflict resolution show hosted by Jeremy Kyle came under fire for the treatment of its guests.

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee chairman Julian Knight said of behind-the-scenes footage shown to the committee previously: “Frankly they are outrageous, these were people who were taken off screen and presented with an individual who was meant to be a psychiatric counsellor and they were filmed during these processes.

“They were baited over a long period of time. My jaw is dropping at the lack of contrition here from ITV and from yourself as a chief executive.”

The Jeremy Kyle Show was cancelled in 2019 after 15 years on air
ITV

While McCall argued the show had been on air since 2004 and attracted around a million viewers per episode, Knight responded: “The Roman Colosseum held 55,000, it doesn’t mean because it was popular it was right.

“I’m just astounded that you don’t accept the premise that this programme itself, although it ran for 15 years and seemingly was highly popular, it involved the psychological exposure of very vulnerable people … people who were out there in the public domain who should have not been in the public domain.

Carolyn McCall spoke at the inquiry 
REUTERS

“I’m just surprised you can’t see that perhaps that was the wrong step and perhaps ITV should have ended it earlier, and perhaps we shouldn’t see its like on TV again.”

McCall asserted that The Jeremy Kyle Show, which was axed last year following the death of guest Steve Dymond shortly after filming, followed proper procedures and had been regulated for the 15 years it was on air.

However, she also agreed that society had greatly changed since the programme had first been broadcast.

“I think a lot has changed; I think if you look at the show today you wonder how it could have been on for so long – I agree with you – but a lot has changed in that intervening period,” she told the DCMS committee.

“I’m proud of a range of things ITV does, I’m proud of ITV. That particular show did polarise opinion, everyone on that show knew what the show was, it was informed consent, it was adults, they went through a screening and vetting process, they went through quite a lot of hoops before they went on that show, but it was conflict resolution – it was not always comfortable to view, yet people viewed it.

ITV faced criticism over its duty of care procedures
Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

“We have said that we will not be doing a show like The Jeremy Kyle Show again, we have been very clear about that.”

The Jeremy Kyle Show’s cancellation came as there was growing scrutiny over the duty of care of participants in television programmes.

Love Island attracted criticism for the time after the suicides of two contestants, Mike Thalassitis and Sophie Gradon, just over a year from one another. The show has since brought in stringent duty of care and aftercare guidelines.

Additional reporting by PA.

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