Jeremy Kyle defends his treatment of Steve Dymond at inquest into his death

Summary

Jeremy Kyle has given evidence at the inquest of a man who died after filming his TV show
Steve Dymond, 63, from Portsmouth, is believed to have killed himself seven days after filming the Jeremy Kyle Show in May 2019
The inquest is shown clips of the show - which was never aired - in which Kyle tells Dymond he has failed a lie detector test and to tell "the goddamn truth"
But Kyle defends his actions, saying he also encouraged the audience to applaud Dymond, and called him "mate"
"I believed he needed to tell the truth," Kyle tells the inquest
The inquest later heard from the show's nurse, Steph MacDonald, who said she knew of Dymond's history of depression, but not his self-harm
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Live Reporting

Edited by Emily McGarvey and Sue Paz, with Duncan Kennedy, Nikos Papanikolaou and Marcus White at Winchester Coroner's Court

What we've heard at the inquest todaypublished at 16:53 British Summer Time 5 September
Image source, ITV/PA Wire
Image caption,
The court was shown clips of the un-broadcast episode with Steve Dymond appearing on the Jeremy Kyle Show in 2019
Today's evidence session of the inquest into the death of Steve Dymond, a guest who apparently took his own life shortly after appearing on The Jeremy Kyle Show in 2019, has finished.
We heard from Jeremy Kyle himself, ITV's director of content compliance at the time, Chris Wissun, and a former member of the show's aftercare team Steph MacDonald. Here's a recap:
- Jeremy Kyle defended his presenting style during the un-broadcast episode with Dymond, saying "it was direct, but it was empathetic, it was honest"
- The court was shown clips from the unaired show, in which Kyle told Dymond to "be a man, grow a pair of balls and tell her the god damn truth", after he failed a lie detector test following accusations that he cheated on his ex-fiancee Jane Callaghan
- Kyle said he was "not involved in the selection of guests" for the show, nor their aftercare
- Wissun said the show had a "standing rule" not to allow guests with "current depression" to take a lie detector test and they were assessed by the aftercare team
- Asked about her interview with Dymond which led to his participation on the show, MacDonald said his history of self-harm and suicide attempts were not listed in a letter from his GP
The inquest continues.
Evidence concludespublished at 16:44 British Summer Time 5 September
Marcus White
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
The third day of evidence has concluded.
Nurse's assessment led to Dymond's participation, inquest hearspublished at 16:20 British Summer Time 5 September
Marcus White
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
Coroner Jason Pegg asks aftercare nurse Steph MacDonald how much reliance she put on the GP's letter.
He suggests that it was a "trigger" which led to her carrying out her own mental health assessment of Dymond in a phone call.
She agrees, adding she found him to be "confident and upbeat".
She says it was her assessment, not the letter, which led to Dymond's participation.
Dymond said he was never referred to mental health teams - nursepublished at 15:55 British Summer Time 5 September
Marcus White
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
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Steph MacDonald continues: "I was told by Mr Dymond that he had never harmed himself, had never had suicidal thoughts and had never been referred to mental health teams."
She says she took everything he said "at face value".
Rachel Spearing, counsel to the inquiry, asks whether she would have excluded Dymond from the show had the full picture been known.
"I can't say 100%," she replies.
Dymond's self-harm history not listed in GP letter - aftercare nursepublished at 15:50 British Summer Time 5 September
Marcus White
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
Steph MacDonald is asked about her interview with Dymond, which led to his participation on the show.
She tells inquest counsel Rachel Spearing: "He told me he was diagnosed with depression months earlier. He said he never took the tablets."
The nurse says she thought Dymond's GP was happy with him not being on anti-depressants.
She is asked about Dymond's history of self-harm and suicide attempts, which were not listed in a letter from his GP.
"I would have thought there was no history because I would have expected a GP to include that," she says.
What did Jeremy Kyle say in his evidence?published at 15:38 British Summer Time 5 September
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,
Kyle leaving Winchester Coroner's Court after giving evidence
Before we hear from a former member of The Jeremy Kyle Show's aftercare team, let's recap what the TV presenter said at the inquest into the death of Steve Dymond - a guest who is thought to have taken his own life seven days after filming for the show in 2019.
- Jeremy Kyle said he was not involved in the screening of the guests nor the show's aftercare
- Un-broadcast clips from the episode with Dymond were shown to the court, in which Kyle told him he'd failed every lie detector test question, and to "grow a pair of balls" and tell the truth
- Kyle said today he saw "empathy" in the clips - adding that he calmed the situation down and "pushed it backstage"
- The presenter denied encouraging or inciting a response from the audience to Dymond's polygraph results, instead saying he "asked them to give a round of applause"
- Kyle further denied engaging in a series of behaviours put to him by his lawyer - including that he pounced on, heckled and called Dymond a traitor
Aftercare mental health nurse to give evidencepublished at 15:20 British Summer Time 5 September
Marcus White
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
We will now hear from Steph MacDonald, a former member of the show's aftercare team who was a registered mental health nurse.
She approved Steve Dymond's participation on the show, the inquest has been told.
Dymond successfully reapplied for the show after initially being turned down due to his depression.
Clip shows Dymond taking lie detector test for Kyle showpublished at 15:18 British Summer Time 5 September
Image source, ITV/PA Wire
The court has been watching clips from the un-broadcast show featuring Steve Dymond. We know that Dymond opted to take a lie detector test - the results of which were revealed to him on stage during the show.
In this screengrab from the TV rushes, we can see Dymond taking the lie detector test for the show after being accused of cheating on his ex-partner, Jane Callaghan.
Kyle's evidence ends and he leaves the courtpublished at 15:11 British Summer Time 5 September
Marcus White
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
Jeremy Kyle, his solicitor, his agent and another three or so associates leave the court after his evidence ends.
'Did you heckle Dymond?' - Kyle's barrister askspublished at 15:04 British Summer Time 5 September
Marcus White
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
Kyle's own barrister Neil Sheldon KC is now asking the questions.
"Did you pounce on Mr Dymond? Did you heckle him? Get in his face, call him a traitor, call him a failure?"
The presenter replies "no" each time.
Kyle asked why he told Dymond he didn't trust himpublished at 15:01 British Summer Time 5 September
Marcus White
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
Jeremy Kyle is asked by Maya Sikand KC, on behalf of Dymond's family, why he told him he wouldn't "trust him with a chocolate button".
The presenter says: "I've no idea where that came from."
The barrister questions him about how he characterised the accuracy of the lie detector test.
"I said I'm 100% that you will have lied in some part of the test and that will call you a liar," Kyle says.
The barrister objects: "But you said he failed every single question."
Was Dymond 'humiliated' on the show?published at 14:45 British Summer Time 5 September
Marcus White
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
The presenter is asked whether he felt Dymond was "humiliated" on the show.
Jeremy Kyle replies: "No. I've read that I called him a traitor. No I didn't. It was the show as I understood the show.
"Sad as it might sound, it was a typical part."
He adds that the show insisted on a doctor letting him come on, gave the results of the polygraph test and provided aftercare services.
Kyle says he didn't act any differently with Dymondpublished at 14:43 British Summer Time 5 September
Nikos Papanikolaou
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
Jeremy Kyle explains now that he wanted to bring Dymond and his partner Jane Callaghan "together", adding that he didn't do anything differently than he was doing with other guests.
He distances himself from saying it's his show, adding "it's a show with my name on it".
'I believed he needed to tell the truth,' Kyle says of Dymondpublished at 14:37 British Summer Time 5 September
Marcus White
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
Jeremy Kyle says his aim was de-escalation when he told Steve Dymond to "grow a pair" and tell the truth.
He tells the inquest: "I believed he needed to tell the truth.
"If he did, there was a chance they could still be together," referring to Dymond and his former partner Jane Callaghan, whom he was accused of cheating on.
Stringent rules were in place, says Kylepublished at 14:32 British Summer Time 5 September
Duncan Kennedy
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
Jeremy Kyle tells the court it was an entertainment show that had stringent rules in place.
”I was not involved in selection or aftercare," he says.
The videos of the un-transmitted Jeremy Kyle Show were quite hard to watch in places, as both Steve Dymond and his partner Jane Callaghan were in tears.
'I asked audience to applaud Dymond,' Kyle tells inquestpublished at 14:30 British Summer Time 5 September
Marcus White
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
In the next clip shown to the court, the show's audience gasps and exclaims when the polygraph tests are revealed.
Rachel Spearing, counsel to the inquest, asks Kyle: "Did you encourage or incite a response?"
The presenter replies: "Not at all. I asked them to give a round of applause."
'Why do you lie so much?' Kyle asked Dymondpublished at 14:27 British Summer Time 5 September
Marcus White
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
In another clip, Steve Dymond is being interviewed by Jeremy Kyle before the lie detector test results are revealed.
"Why do you lie so much?" asks the presenter.
"If I knew the answer I wouldn't be here," Dymond replies, beginning to weep.
"I love her to bits, so much," Dymond adds.
He holds hands with Jane Callaghan, who tells the presenter: "I think he does love me."
'I calmed it down, I pushed it backstage,' says Kylepublished at 14:22 British Summer Time 5 September
Marcus White
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
After viewing the clips, Jeremy Kyle tells the inquest he sees "empathy" in the extracts.
"From the moment Steve Dymond came out, I called him 'mate', I called him 'pal'", he says.
"I de-escalated, I calmed it down, I pushed it backstage.
"And that was what the show was all about - conflict resolution."
Kyle told Dymond to 'grow a pair'published at 14:21 British Summer Time 5 September
Marcus White
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
Jeremy Kyle says: "Why would you fail? Did you kiss someone but not have sex with them? I'm trying my best here. I don't actually take any pleasure in this at all."
Steve Dymond replies: "I have not been unfaithful to her."
Jeremy Kyle says he stands 100% by the lie detector result and "would not trust you with a chocolate button".
He adds to Steve Dymond: "Grow a pair of balls and tell her the god damn truth."
Dymond told he failed every lie detector questionpublished at 14:16 British Summer Time 5 September
Marcus White
Reporting from Winchester Coroner's Court
In a key clip shown to the inquest from the day of filming, Jeremy Kyle tells Steve Dymond: "Just so you're aware you failed every single question."
Dymond responds, "Oh my God", and stands up.
Jane Callaghan, Dymond's ex-fiancee, cries hysterically and leaves the room.
Filming continues backstage, where Callaghan is crying and has her head in her hands.
Dymond's expression is pleading and desperate. "I swear to God," he says. "I am being so straight, I have never been more straight."