Jeremy Kyle: From daytime TV stalwart to talk radio broadcaster

Jeremy Kyle made a name for himself as the host of his eponymous talk show, presiding over arguing members of the public airing their issues on TV until it all came to an end.

The confrontational programme, which was pulled off the air for good following the death of a guest in May 2019, had been a popular addition to ITV’s daytime schedule since it started in 2005, turning Kyle into a household name.

Steve Dymond, from Portsmouth, Hampshire, died a week after he recorded a 2019 episode, and Kyle is appearing at his inquest on Thursday at Winchester Coroner’s Court.

The Jeremy Kyle Show centred around its host confronting guests over infidelities, addictions, dysfunctional relationships and parenting methods, among myriad other personal disputes.

Prior to his broadcasting career, Kyle worked in Marks & Spencer and had jobs as an insurance salesman and a recruitment consultant before taking on a number of radio presenting jobs in the 1990s.

After stints at several local stations, including Kent’s Invicta FM, he joined BRMB in Birmingham, where he fronted the shows Late And Live and Jezza’s Jukebox.

By 2000, Kyle had carved out a respectable radio career and moved to Virgin Radio and then London’s Capital FM, where he hosted his Confessions show, having taken the format with him from Virgin.

The programme was a precursor to what would later inspire his ITV talk show, allowing listeners to call in with their relationship issues and dilemmas while he listened and offered advice.

In July 2005, Kyle was drafted in to host his own talk show on ITV following the departure of Trisha Goddard, who had her own morning programme on the channel.

Reminiscent of The Jerry Springer Show in the US, it was an early hit for tackling issues around traditional family values, and was nominated for a National Television Award (NTA) in 2007 in the most popular factual programme category.

However, it also divided opinion among viewers for its fiery confrontations and rowdy format, with family members airing their dirty laundry on stage in front of an audience while Kyle would watch on.

Kyle would act as mediator to his guests, being either gentle and kind or shouting at them to pull their lives together.

He drew criticism for his hard-nosed style, but also won himself legions of fans for his tactics.

In 2011, Kyle took his programme to the US, but it was cancelled the following year because of poor ratings.

Away from The Jeremy Kyle Show, he acted as a guest presenter on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, and fronted a number of other programmes including Military Driving School, Jeremy Kyle’s Emergency Room and the game show High Stakes.

In 2009 he released his first book, I’m Only Being Honest, focusing on the UK’s social issues and his opinions on how to solve them.

Kyle’s personal life has seen him make headlines over the years.

He married his first wife Kirsty Rowley in 1989 but they split soon afterwards.

He met Carla Germaine when she entered a competition to marry a stranger on Birmingham radio station BRMB, where Kyle was working at the time.

She married salesman Greg Cordell but they later split up and she got together with Kyle, marrying him in 2002.

In 2015 they split after 13 years of marriage, and were granted a decree nisi the following year, with a lawyer for Germaine petitioning for divorce on the grounds of unreasonable behaviour.

Kyle became engaged to Vicky Burton, the former nanny of his children. They tied the knot in 2021 in Windsor, Berkshire after having to reschedule their wedding six times.

He has six children.

The broadcaster revealed in 2009 that he had obsessive compulsive disorder, admitting that he would often lick his phone to make sure it was clean, among other things.

In 2012 he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Following the cancellation of The Jeremy Kyle Show, ITV has said it would continue to work with Kyle on other projects.

However, he had a break from broadcasting on TV. In 2021 when he went back on air with a talkRadio show.

Kyle claimed he had been “cancelled” before taking on the show.

He has continued at the News UK-owned broadcaster, after it launched the channel TalkTV. It had abandoned linear programming and started an online streaming service called Talk.