Calls for The Jeremy Kyle Show to stay off air grow as ITV suspends programme indefinitely after death of guest

A Tory MP has called for The Jeremy Kyle Show to stay off the air after the death of a guest who appeared on the show.

ITV said staff at the broadcaster and the show's production team were "shocked and saddened" at the death and the episode will be reviewed.

However, Charles Walker, a vice-chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on suicide and self-harm prevention, told the Daily Mail: "On reflection, ITV would be best advised just to stop it.

"It's a very, very unattractive TV show and I'm surprised it's gone on so long."

MP Damian Collins, chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said TV companies "have a duty to care to the people who take part in their programmes", while Tory MP Simon Hart, who also sits on the committee, described the Jeremy Kyle Show as "car-crash TV which revels in people's terrible misfortune and sometimes their vulnerabilities".

The Jeremy Kyle Show has been suspended indefinitely.

ITV confirmed in a statement it would not screen the episode in which the guest took part in filming.

“Everyone at ITV and The Jeremy Kyle Show is shocked and saddened at the news of the death of a participant in the show a week after the recording of the episode they featured in and our thoughts are with their family and friends," a spokesperson said.

“ITV will not screen the episode in which they featured.

Jeremy Kyle has been on air with his self-titled show since 2005. Credit: PA

"Given the seriousness of this event, ITV has also decided to suspend both filming and broadcasting of The Jeremy Kyle Show with immediate effect in order to give it time to conduct a review of this episode of the show."

Dee Kelly who appeared on Benefit Street and went on the celebrity version of the show in February defends the support she received.

She said: "It was a very positive experience for me and we got a lot of pre-show care as well as after show care.

"You had the producers and the runners and everyone was absolutely brilliant, you'd come in and they were talking to you," she added.

Dee Kelly said she received a lot of care before and after appearing on the celebrity version of The Jeremy Kyle Show. Credit: ITV News

ITV has now wiped all episodes of the programme from its on-demand service the ITV Hub, and episodes will not air on ITV2.

The Jeremy Kyle Show’s official YouTube account still has clips from the programme available to watch.

  • ITV News Correspondent Dan Rivers explains the seriousness of what has happened

A spokesperson for media watchdog Ofcom said: "This is clearly a very distressing case.

"Although we can only assess content that has been broadcast, we are discussing this programme with ITV as a priority to understand what took place."

The show, which first aired in July 2005, is filmed at MediaCityUK in Salford.

The show is known for its direct and feisty discussions as guests discuss personal conflicts and relationship problems in front of the studio audience.