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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Katherine Heslop

Inquest into death of Jeremy Kyle Show guest Steve Dymond pushed back at family's request

An inquest into the death of The Jeremy Kyle Show guest Steve Dymond, who passed away days after failing a lie detector test on the programme, has been pushed back.

The 63-year-old had taken the test in a bid to prove he hadn't been cheating to his on-off fiancée Jane Callaghan - with the recording of the show taking place on 2 May 2019.

Steve failed that test and after the show recording ended, he told one of the show's researchers "I wish I was dead" before being sent home in a taxi.

Just seven days later, Steve was found dead in his rented room in Portsmouth, Hampshire on May 9.

Steve Dymond with his on-off fiancée Jane Callaghan (Darren Cool)

His episode never aired and the show was immediately axed by ITV, with the channel expressing their shock and sadness at the death in a statement.

ITV's statement said The Jeremy Kyle Show has "significant and detailed duty of care processes in place for contributors pre, during and post show which have been built up over 14 years and there have been numerous positive outcomes from this, including people who have resolved complex and long-standing personal problems."

The Jeremy Kyle Show was a staple of ITV's daytime schedule for year (ITV)

Now, Hampshire coroner Jason Pegg has agreed to adjourn the inquest, which was due to start on Monday, after an application on behalf of Dymond's family, it has been reported.

Pegg will give his ruling relating to the adjournment at Ashburton Hall, Winchester, on Monday morning.

A new date has not yet been given.

Kyle will be called to give evidence to the inquest as a witness, Mr Pegg has confirmed.

The Jeremy Kyle Show was cancelled after the death of Steve Dymond who had featured in an episode of the series (ITV)

Mr Pegg told a pre-inquest hearing in June 2020 that Steve had died of a morphine overdose and left ventricular hypertrophy.

The coroner said Steve "did report to others that he was caused distress by his treatment by the show" and it "played out" into the following week leading up to his death."

He added: "To not deal with it would be ludicrous."

At a separate pre-inquest review in October 2020, assistant coroner Lincoln Brookes was told about some of the "broad themes" Mr Dymond's family would be raising.

Jane Callaghan spoke about Steve in a Channel 4 documentary which examined The Jeremy Kyle Show (Channel 4/ Jeremy Kyle Show Death On Daytime)

Speaking on behalf of the family, barrister Caoilfhionn Gallagher said Mr Dymond was "exceptionally vulnerable" and had stopped taking prescribed anti-depressants in order to take the show's polygraph test.

She said: "After his cruel shaming he did not get the appropriate support from the aftercare team."

Ms Gallagher claimed the family had seen "no evidence" that Mr Dymond was given any welfare checks by any qualified mental health staff.

The barrister said the family has now requested internal ITV interview notes from Jeremy Kyle, the assistant producer, a researcher, and the aftercare and polygraph teams.

Steve Dymond died days after appearing on The Jeremy Kyle Show (Pixel8000)

They have also asked for the unedited recording of the show, which ITV's barrister, Simon Antrobus, agreed to provide.

After the show was taken off air, Steve's devastated friends and family built a picture of his heartbreaking final days.

Following the recording of the show, Steve's heartbroken partner Jane kicked him out of their shared house.

"He kept texting me, leaving voicemails," Jane told The Sun. "In one text he said, 'I can't live without you. I just wanted to come and see you. I just wanted to say sorry before I go. My life is not worth living without you.'

"But he had said it so many times before. I was like 'I don't want to know Steve, go away.'"

*If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch

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