Jeremy Kyle Guest Warns Fiancee ITV Show Responsible Before Fatal Overdose

A man who allegedly took his own life after appearing on The Jeremy Kyle Show sent a final distressing text to his former partner, blaming the program for his impending actions, an inquest revealed. Steve Dymond, 63, died from an overdose and pre-existing heart condition at his Portsmouth home a week after participating in the ITV show in May 2019.

Dymond had been accused of infidelity by his ex-fiancée, Jane Callaghan, and failed a lie detector test he took for the show. This failure seemingly triggered his subsequent actions. Attending the inquest at Winchester Coroner’s Court, an emotional Callaghan was seen wiping her eyes with a tissue as she gave her testimony.

The court was presented with a WhatsApp message from 6 May 2019, where Dymond emphasized his innocence to Callaghan, writing, “This will be the last time I say it, I was never, never ever unfaithful to you, in all the time we were together. I hope The Jeremy Kyle Show is so happy now, as to what they have done to me. I did lie about my past, but not about me being a cheat. I never ever did cheat on you. They are responsible for what happens now; I hope this makes good ratings for them, I bet they keep this quiet.”

He concluded with what seemed to be his final words to her: “Never did I cheat on you, never, never. My final words. I did try to explain to you, but you would not listen.”

During the inquest, Callaghan described how Kyle was particularly harsh towards Dymond on the show. She recounted how Dymond, immediately after the episode, was desperate to talk to her, insisting, “It’s not right, it’s not the truth.” Despite this, Callaghan admitted she had initially praised Kyle to a show producer the day after the filming, calling the presenter “great.”

However, Neil Sheldon KC, representing Kyle, argued that Dymond had never explicitly complained about Kyle’s conduct towards him, a point Callaghan conceded. The court delved into the relationship between Callaghan and Dymond, who had met online in May 2017. They had broken up in February 2019 but resumed their relationship by the end of March. The couple had reportedly decided to appear on The Jeremy Kyle Show to settle doubts about Dymond’s fidelity using a lie detector test, hoping for clarity and closure.

Callaghan confessed to the court that she initially believed wholeheartedly in the lie detector’s accuracy but her trust waned over time. Earlier in the session, it was disclosed that Dymond had told his son, Carl Woolley, that Kyle had incited the audience to boo him, increasing his distress. Dymond had told Woolley that “the lie detector had cast him as a liar,” despite his protests of his innocence.

Woolley detailed how Dymond remained deeply troubled in the days following the show, reaching out to his son up to six times daily. The court also heard from Dymond’s brother, Leslie, who described his sibling’s profound distress and fixation on the lie detector test results he disagreed with vehemently. Leslie recounted Steven’s description of feeling under siege, heckled by both the audience and Kyle as he neared collapse.

Dymond reportedly tried to escape the studio through a side door, only to find it locked, adding to his sense of entrapment and humiliation. In his heavily emotional state, Dymond had confided to Leslie that he felt utterly worthless and overwhelmed, expressing that he couldn’t continue living.

The court confirmed that Dymond’s death resulted from a combination of a morphine overdose and left ventricular hypertrophy. Coroner Jason Pegg emphasized that the inquest’s purpose was not to assign civil or criminal liability but to understand the circumstances around Dymond’s death.

The hearing is set to continue, delving further into the tragic chain of events that led to Steve Dymond’s passing.

Source: PA Media, Getty Images