Jeremy Kyle has made his way to court to provide testimony at an inquest regarding the demise of a man who featured on The Jeremy Kyle Show.
Steve Dymond, aged 63, was discovered deceased at his residence in Portsmouth, Hampshire, in May 2019, just one week after participating in the show.
Steve Dymond passed away following the recording of an episode of The Jeremy Kyle Show. Pic: Family handout/PA
A coroner concluded that he succumbed to a combination of a morphine overdose coupled with left ventricular hypertrophy in his heart.
Mr. Dymond had undergone a lie detector examination for the ITV program after being accused of infidelity by his former fiancée Jane Callaghan. Following his passing, the episode was never broadcast, and the series was subsequently terminated.
Kyle, aged 59, is present on the third day of the inquest at Winchester Coroner’s Court.
On Thursday morning, video excerpts from the unaired episode were presented to the court, featuring Mr. Dymond receiving guidance regarding the procedures of the lie detector examination.
In the footage, Mr. Dymond inquired of the polygraph technician, employed by ITV to conduct the procedure, if the test was “99.9% precise,” to which the technician responded: “They are 95% accurate” with a “narrow margin of error.”
The technician also warned Mr. Dymond that “if you fail one question, you fail all of them.”
The video clips also depict Mr. Dymond watching a recording that informs him about the test, advising participants to be “truthful, open, and honest.”
Lie detector results enhanced ‘dramatic element’
Chris Wissun, the content compliance director at ITV during Mr. Dymond’s appearance on the program, returned to the witness stand, stating that the lie detector examination was “a well-established editorial component of the show.”
He explained that Kyle would not have been informed of the lie detector results prior to filming but would learn the outcome in real-time as the show was being recorded.
Mr. Wissun mentioned: “The producer would not disclose the results to the host; they would be revealed during the program.
“He would open the envelope and announce the findings, conveying the results to the guests. There was an added element of drama in that moment.”
He further stated that he was unaware of Kyle being instructed to “modify his approach or presenting style” when interacting with Mr. Dymond.
Mr. Wissun had previously indicated to the court that he had been informed that Kyle was “very open” to the aftercare team’s advice regarding whether he needed to adjust or soften his presenting style for specific participants.
Ms. Callaghan and Mr. Dymond’s son, Carl Woolley, provided testimony on the initial day of the inquest.
Mr. Dymond had received a diagnosis of a depressive disorder in 1995 and had previously taken overdoses on four occasions—January 1995, twice in December 2002, and April 2005, as the hearing revealed on Wednesday.
The court learned that he also made another apparent suicide attempt in 2002.
He was admitted to a mental health facility in September 2005, where an evaluation concluded that he was at “risk of suicide.”
Individuals experiencing emotional distress or suicidal thoughts can reach out to Samaritans for support at 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the United States, contact the Samaritans branch in your locality or call 1 (800) 273-TALK
