Jeremy Kyle guest distraught after show, inquest hears

A man who took a fatal overdose after appearing on The Jeremy Kyle Show was “broken” and “distraught” after filming, an inquest has heard.

Steve Dymond’s landlady Michelle Thaxter said she had never seen a man cry so much, after he recorded an episode of the ITV programme in May 2019.

The 63-year-old, who had a history of suicide attempts, was found dead a week later in his room in Portsmouth from the combined effect of an overdose and a heart condition.

Mr Dymond went on the show to try to prove through a lie detector test that he had not cheated on his partner, the inquest in Winchester previously heard.

Giving evidence, Mrs Thaxter said she had rented the room to Mr Dymond in February 2019 after he broke up with his partner Jane Callaghan.

She said: “All he wanted was to get back with this woman. He absolutely loved her, he adored her.

“He was focused 100% on going to the show and proving to Jane that hadn’t lied or slept with anyone else.”

On the day of the recording, Mrs Thaxter said her lodger had phoned and said he had failed the lie detector test.

She added: “He was distraught, just broken, crying. I’ve never seen anybody that upset.”

The landlady said Mr Dymond had reported that he was “booed off the stage” and “Jeremy Kyle backed him into a corner”.

She added her lodger had also complained of other issues in his life, including telling lies and family and financial worries.

“I think he’d just dug such a big hole,” she said.

In a statement, her son Sam Kendall said Mr Dymond had been “mortified and disgusted by the way Jeremy Kyle had treated him”.

He said the lodger had been told by the show’s producers that he might have failed the lie detector test because he had had a “heavy cold”.

Mr Kendall said he had found Mr Dymond’s body a few days after he and his mother had last seen him alive.

In footage previously shown at the inquest, Mr Kyle told the guest to “grow a pair” and “I wouldn’t trust you with a chocolate button”.

In a key clip, the programme audience exclaimed in shock when the results of a lie detector test were revealed.

Mr Kyle told Mr Dymond: “Just so you’re aware, you failed every single question.”

The inquest was told failing one question meant failing all of them, according to the administrator of Mr Dymond’s test.

Giving evidence on Thursday, Mr Kyle told the inquest he had shown “empathy”.

He said: “From the moment Steve Dymond came out, I called him ‘mate’, I called him ‘pal’.

“I de-escalated, I calmed it down, I pushed it backstage.

“And that was what the show was all about – conflict resolution.”

He added the show had insisted on a doctor agreeing to let Mr Dymond come on, and provided aftercare services.

The hearing continues.

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