Jeremy Kyle was reportedly handed a pay-off of more than £1 million after his talk show was abruptly cancelled.
ITV axed The Jeremy Kyle Show after 14 years following the tragic death of guest Steve Dymond, who took his own life days after a lie detector claimed he'd cheated on his fiancée - something he denied.
Host Jeremy was left without the steady, big money job he'd had for over a decade, all of a sudden, and was reportedly compensated by the broadcaster.
A source told the Daily Mail : "ITV had to pay him. The contract was watertight and there was nothing which could be done about it. It was a huge amount of money."
The insider added that as Jeremy had most of a year left on his £2m annual contract, the pay-out would have been "well over £1m".
The Jeremy Kyle Show has been back under the spotlight recently thanks to two-part Channel 4 documentary Death on Daytime.
The programme examined how the show worked behind the scenes and included interviews with former guests and staff.
Four staff members were portrayed by actors in the documentary after agreeing to speak out but fearing that they would be blacklisted in the industry.
They claimed they had used tactics to rile guests up and guarantee more conflict when they finally made it to the stage, and some even accused Jeremy of gaining a "God complex" because of the show.
Jeremy has furiously hit out at the picture the documentary painted of him, and has even said he's considering legal action.
He said in a statement: "The false and damaging allegations made against me by Channel 4 are with the lawyers now.
"No doubt ITV will address the issues raised by Channel 4 around ITV's production of The Jeremy Kyle Show themselves. It would be wrong for me to speak on their behalf.
"Now is not the time to debate or discuss what is an ongoing legal process."
Jeremy, who now works at Talk Radio TV, insisted there are "two sides" to every story.
He told the broadcaster: "I will not comment on the tragic death of Steve Dymond until the legal process has finished.
"And when – and trust me there will be a time after the inquest – when it is right and proper for me to have my say. Because, of course, there are two sides to every single story."
An ITV spokesperson said of the show: "All guests on The Jeremy Kyle Show were aware of the nature of the show and the presenter's style before taking part. Most of those who applied to appear watched the show themselves. All guests gave their informed consent, in writing, to take part.
"The central purpose of the show was conflict resolution and the show achieved many positive outcomes where people were able to resolve personal problems.
"Guests were supported by the programme and welfare teams prior to filming, throughout filming and after filming.
"Due to the gravity of events in May 2019, namely the death of a guest a few days after taking part in the show, ITV decided to end production of the show.
"It would not be appropriate for ITV to comment further on that in advance of the inquest to be held later this month, other than to say that our sympathies are with Mr Dymond's family and friends."
The Mirror has contacted Jeremy's representatives for comment.
ITV did not want to comment on the reported pay-off.
