Jeremy Kyle on his show
News

Jeremy Kyle Show hit by further accusations of contributor suicides

A man was reportedly advised to leave wife and she died two weeks later

Jeremy Kyle TV shows have been linked to two more suicides following the death of guest Steve Dymond earlier this month.

According to reports, a mum and a former boxer both allegedly took their own lives after appearing on programmes hosted by the controversial presenter.

The Mirror has reported that Erica Pawson, 36, died from an overdose just two weeks after her husband appeared on a Jeremy Kyle programme called Britain’s Worst Husband in 2005, before the launch of his infamous daytime talk show.

Jeremy Kyle
Jezza’s show ran for 14 years (Credit: ITV)

Read more: OPINION: “Goodbye Jeremy Kyle and GOOD RIDDANCE!”

Erica’s husband Paul was advised to end their “volatile” marriage of 18 years and he did.

Two weeks later, she was found dead at her home near Louth in Lincolnshire, and when the show finally aired, her segment was cut.

Paul told the Mirror: “I was encouraged to leave home. I found it difficult to come to terms with.”

A friend reportedly got a text from Erica in which she said she would kill herself, and she wrote similar suicidal sentiments in her diary.

Erica’s mum, Patricia Massey, said her daughter thought appearing on Britain’s Worst Husband would help “sort things out”.

Jeremy kyle - ITV
Jeremy’s show was cancelled following the death of Steve Dymond (Credit: ITV)

The Mirror has also reported that former boxer and Jeremy Kyle Show guest Paul McCarthy took his own life three months after appearing on the programme, at the age of 31.

Speaking to the publication, his dad Kevin McCarthy, 62, blasted the axed ITV chat show as a “disgrace” and claimed the coroner at his son’s inquest had used the term “bear-baiting” in connection with his experience on the show.

Paul was on The Jeremy Kyle Show in March 2014. Afterwards, he enrolled on a rehab course arranged by the show that was supposed to last 12 weeks, but he left after three and was found dead on July 3.

His mum, Carol, said he was kicked off for his behaviour towards staff but questioned their decision to let him go, demanding: “It meant he was back on the streets with no money – it was horrendous. He might have been violent or destructive but wasn’t it wrong to just let him go?”

(Credit: SplashNews.com)

Read more: Jeremy Kyle finally breaks his silence after his show is axed

She went on to claim that The Jeremy Kyle Show “never once” helped the family after he left rehab and said she believes it would have been “a different story” if he had received that aftercare.

Paul spent two weeks at a psychiatric hospital before checking into a budget hotel and killing himself, his mum said.

Speaking further, Carol said she called the show to tell them she couldn’t afford to pay for Paul’s funeral because the family had used all their money trying to help him, but was told “nonchalantly” that’s not what the show does.

Although she blamed The Kyle Show for Paul’s death “at the beginning”, she admitted now she’s “not so sure”, adding: “But if they had kept him and looked after him the way they said they would we would not be talking like this now. But they did not.”

ED! has reached out to representatives of ITV and Channel 5 for comment.

Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of this story.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor