ITV has cancelled 'The Jeremy Kyle Show' from today.
The long-running chat show series has been the subject of intense controversy following the death of Steve Dymond, who participated in one of the show's lie-detector segments. In a statement released to media, ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall said that "the gravity of recent events" brought about the cancellation. "The Jeremy Kyle Show has had a loyal audience and has been made by a dedicated production team for 14 years, but now is the right time for the show to end," the statement read.
The series was taken off the air on Monday following news of Dymond's death, however many within the television and media industry have been calling for the show's cancellation for some time. Many former participants on the show spoke of how the show's producers antagonised and preyed upon them in order to create sensationalist moments on television. In some cases, participants claimed that the show severely impacted their lives and received sustained abuse online following their appearance on the show.
ITV's decision to cancel 'The Jeremy Kyle Show' comes as more and more scrutiny is being placed on reality television and its after-care of participants, particularly with controversies surrounding 'Love Island'. However, 'The Jeremy Kyle Show' has been one of ITV's most popular programmes, regularly attracting over 1.5 million viewers per week.
Jeremy Kyle has, so far, made no statement on the show's cancellation.
