JEREMY KYLE last week had the tables unceremoniously turned on him.
At an inquest into the death of Steve Dymond, who appeared on The Jeremy Kyle Show and killed himself seven days later, the presenter gave evidence explaining his part in proceedings.
PAPresenter Jeremy Kyle gave evidence explaining his part in proceedings at an inquest into the death of Steve Dymond[/caption]
PASteve Dymond appeared on The Jeremy Kyle Show and killed himself seven days later[/caption]
Unedifying clips from the unaired episode were played to the Winchester Coroner’s Court, which made for deeply uncomfortable viewing.
Filmed in 2019, this was TV from a bygone era.
So, so much has happened to reality telly in the intervening years: Duty of care wasn’t really a thing then. It is now.
The broadcaster has defended his confrontational style, rightly pointing out: “I am the presenter, I didn’t create the show, I was paid to do a job.”
Speaking about his presenting style, he said it was “direct, but it was empathetic, it was honest”.
Feeding frenzy
He said that he had not been briefed by the production team to modify or change his attitude towards Dymond, a man with a history of mental health issues who had previously tried to take his own life.
For whatever reason, that only he could understand, Steve Dymond wanted to appear on national television and “prove” he hadn’t cheated on his partner.
He had obtained a letter from his GP stating that his mood had improved, and a mental health nurse employed by the show assessed that he was as suitable to appear.
Obviously the ongoing court case has created another social media feeding frenzy, with people foaming at the mouth to point the finger, attribute blame to anyone and anything — except themselves, the great viewing public.
The reality is this is a heartbreaking case and one that could so easily have been avoided.
But no one — Jeremy Kyle, ITV, Steve’s family — could have predicted the truly tragic consequences.
Poverty porn — shows like this and Channel 4’s Benefits Street and Channel 5’s bailiff show, Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away! — flourished because people from all social demographics were weirdly drawn to watching the crude perpetrations of the working class.
Watching the pre-recorded break-ups of marriages and families became, for some, compulsive, sick viewing.
Broadcasters were feeding into the (very false) TV-gold narrative of the lazy, thick, unemployed.
Pain and heartbreak were fetishised, and viewers lapped it up. Everyone is to blame here. And it would be nice to say, “Thank God those days are over.”
But they’re not.
Because this type of television has been replaced by something even more dangerous — social media.
Feeling inadequate
Now, not only are people able to watch people mauling one another like attack dogs, they are able to become active participants.
“Pile-ons” are a daily occurrence; people trending on Twitter for one perceived slight, cancelled overnight because of a mis-quote or because they dared to stick their neck above the parapet.
Today, we are in the midst of a national mental health epidemic.
Young people, especially, are vulnerable, comparing themselves to their peers or the rich and famous on TikTok and Instagram, and feeling inadequate, inept and not good enough.
Bullying isn’t on TV any more, it’s everywhere on the internet.
Comment sections are the new Jeremy Kyle Show and far, far more pernicious than anything ever seen on telly.
Something must change, before it is too late.
Lee, just get a tune out of the Three Lions
There has been much furore over Lee Carsley’s refusal to sing the national anthemSportsfile
GettyFabio Capello never learned the national anthem either[/caption]
GettySven-Goran Eriksson tried but said he never mastered it[/caption]
MUCH furore over caretaker England manager Lee Carsley’s refusal to sing the national anthem.
But neither did Fabio Capello. Sven-Goran Eriksson tried but said he never mastered it.
And Sarina Wiegman, the women’s manager, has never bothered.
Lee played for the Republic of Ireland so, technically, he too is a foreign coach.
England won 2-0 at the weekend. Frankly, I’d rather a winning team than a man who can sing “God Save The King” in tune.
Rishi’s primed
NOW that he’s not PM, Rishi Sunak appears to be back and firing on all cylinders.
He scored a huge hit over Keir Starmer during PMQ’s last week, rightly questioning what everyone is thinking: Why should a train driver on circa £65,000 a year get a pay rise of almost £10,000, while a pensioner on £13,000, who needs every penny they can get, has their winter fuel payment removed.
So rattled was ol’ Keir, he referred to Rishi as the Prime Minister no fewer than five times.
Queen is a hit at pub
GettyThe Queen was casually marauding around an old boozer in central London[/caption]
SURREAL sighting of the week on Thursday night at the launch of Tom Parker Bowles’s new cookbook – the Queen casually marauding around an old boozer in central London.
The restaurant critic’s mum, Camilla, happily mingled with punters at The Audley Public House as Tom promoted his excellent new tome, Cooking & The Crown.
In his speech, self-deprecating Tom paid tribute to the King and Queen, adding: “I’ve written nine books now, none of which have exactly troubled Harry Potter in the charts.” LOL.
Kirstie home truth
TWO years ago, Kirstie Allsopp came in for the usual online backlash – after suggesting young people would do well to give up their Starbucks habit and Netflix if they wanted to get on the property ladder.
She was slated by all Young People.
Last week a report came out saying millennials, of which I am one, spend an average of £728 a year on takeaway coffees.
1-0 Kirstie.
Vapes health alarm
GettyVaping is a ticking health epidemic time bomb[/caption]
PROOF, if ever it were needed, that more research needs to be done now into the long-term side effects of vaping . . .
A study carried out by a team from Manchester Met university showed young vapers perform worse in exercise than non-smokers.
Blood tests and an ultrasound scan revealed that the vapers’ peak capacity on a watt bike was similar to that of those of traditional smokers.
In other words, the idea being pedalled out by unscrupulous vaping companies and marketeers that fruit-flavoured E-cigarettes are the “healthy” alternative to a bunch of Marlboro Reds is proving ever more ludicrous.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, vaping is a ticking health epidemic time bomb.
“I GOT home from holiday to find my boiler had packed in – I’ll make sure to get it serviced every year now!”
Press release of the week C/O Will Mellor and the Gas Safe Register.
SUMMER, such as it was, is over.
And now, joy of joys, we can look forward to a nice “arctic blast”.
Britons have been told to wrap up as “thundery storms” and temperatures of six degrees land later this week.
FFS.