'No causal link' between the appearance of Steve Dymond on The Jeremy Kyle Show and his death

10 September 2024, 14:45 | Updated: 10 September 2024, 15:18

There is “no causal link” between the appearance of Steve Dymond on The Jeremy Kyle Show and his death, a coroner has said.

Ruling out Mr Dymond's treatment by The Jeremy Kyle Show as a contributory factor to his death, Hampshire coroner Jason Pegg said: "There is insufficient evidence for me to be satisfied that this was the direct cause of Steve's death."

Mr Dymond, 63, was found dead at his home in Portsmouth, Hampshire, in May 2019, seven days after taking part in the show.

Coroner Jason Pegg gave a conclusion of "suicide" at the inquest of Steve Dymond saying he was suffering from "mental distress" at the belief that his relationship had "irretrievably broken down".

He said: "The deceased's decision to take his own life was made in the context of his mental distress that was probably exacerbated by his belief that a significant relationship had now irretrievably broken down following his participation on a television programme where it had been suggested that the deceased had lied to his partner."

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He added that Mr Dymond had left notes for this family and said: "There is nothing in those notes where Mr Dymond is critical of his treatment by the show."

Dismissing The Jeremy Kyle Show as a "direct cause of Steve Dymond's distress", coroner Jason Pegg said: "These accounts are not supported with any independent expert evidence to evaluate the impact of his treatment on the show.

"It would be unsafe to infer these links in the absence of a clear and reliable causal connection.

"Steve Dymond's participation in the show is one of a number of factors, and whilst possible that the manner experience added to his distress it is not probable.

"The weight which can be attached to these accounts must be balanced with the other evidence available in the aftermath of the show including Steve Dymond's own reliability, the evidence from witnesses and the rush recordings.

"Aftercare records indicate Steve Dymond was 'emotionally contained' and expressed no dissatisfaction towards his treatment during the recording with a plan for follow-up CBT support."

Jeremy Kyle has described how the "false accusations" against him since Steve Dymond's death had taken a "huge toll on him and his family".

In a statement released after the inquest, he said: "His Majesty's Coroner has today clearly and unequivocally found that Jeremy Kyle did not in any way cause or contribute to the tragic suicide of Steve Dymond. He is now exonerated of that ill-informed accusation and his name has finally been cleared.

"Out of respect for the family of Mr Dymond and the judicial process, Jeremy has always maintained that it would be inappropriate to discuss details whilst the legal inquest was ongoing and he has remained steadfastly silent in the face of lies, false accusations and unfair criticism over the last 5 1/2 years.

"This has taken a huge toll on him and his family and he would like to thank everyone who has truly supported him through these tough times."