‘The Jeremy Kyle Show’ team put "a lot of work" to care for its guests.
Professor Lyndsay Duthie – a former producer for ‘Trisha Goddard’ – has explained the amount of effort that goes on behind the scenes and defended those who have been working on the ITV show before it was cancelled this week following the death of guest Steven Dymond, who allegedly took his own life a week after taking a lie detector test on the programme.
Speaking on ‘Good Morning Britain’, she said: "The amount of work that goes into securing a guest, there’s a pile of paperwork to check if they’re able to do it.
"There’s a lot of work that goes into it, however, where does the duty of care end? Should producers be calling them every week for years? It’s how that part is managed.
"As well as appearing on the show, you then have a second shot when it’s screened, now it’s on social media also, so it’s out there."
Lyndsay – who accepted the investigation production companies was "probably right" – added that Steven’s suspected suicide is "a really tragic event", and conceded that "something has gone wrong in that checking process".
However, she said: "But to stick up for the producing team a bit, there is work that goes into it and that duty of care."
She also suggested the decision to axe the show happened "so quickly" and may have been done "to protect the brand".
She explained: "It’s absolutely right to suspend the show. But to announce within 24 hours it had been cancelled, I think it’s to protect the brand, so there wasn’t a nationwide outcry for it to be culled. It’s kind of a smart move by ITV."
Episodes removed from the ITV Hub following Steve’s death, before it was later confirmed the programme would not be returning.
Carolyn McCall, ITV’s CEO, said: "Given the gravity of recent events we have decided to end production of The Jeremy Kyle Show.
"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.
"Everyone at ITV’s thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of Steve Dymond.
"The previously announced review of the episode of the show is underway and will continue."
Jeremy Kyle Show defended by former Trisha Goddard producer
