Kyle’s axed reality show in spotlight

Channel 4 has commissioned a new series about The Jeremy Kyle Show, it has announced. The broadcaster says the series, to be made by the makers of Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain, “aims to tell the wider story of The Jeremy Kyle Show, exploring the impact it had on British culture and the lives of those who appeared on it”.

In 2019 The Jeremy Kyle Show, which aired on ITV, was axed amid growing scrutiny of the duty of care that reality TV shows and broadcasters have to participants and following the death of guest Steve Dymond. The provocative daytime show had been a regular fixture in television schedules since 2005.

Channel 4’s senior commissioning editor of factual, Alisa Pomeroy, said: “These awardwinning programme makers will undoubtedly explore some incredibly important issues raised by the making of these type of programmes.

“The film will also seek to explain why they had such mass appeal and generated a huge amount of social comment, which still continues today.”

Executive producer Graeme McAulay said: “We’re hoping this series will contribute to a greater public understanding of the impact and complexities involved in programmes like The Jeremy Kyle Show and explore why it continues to divide opinion.”

The series will be produced by Barry Ronan and directed by Kira

Phillips, whose other TV projects include Teachers Training To Kill and My Baby’s Life: Who Decides?

ITV recently announced that contestants on the upcoming series of Love Island will be offered a minimum of eight therapy sessions on their return home. All contestants involved in the ITV2 reality TV series will also receive training on the impact of social media and “how to handle potential negativity”, as well as training on financial management.

Dame Carolyn McCall, chief executive of ITV, has said there are no plans for Kyle to return to the broadcaster.

“The film will seek to explain why they had such a mass appeal

CONTROVERSY: Jeremy Kyle’s TV show ended in 2019.