Piers Morgan defends The Jeremy Kyle Show saying no one is ‘forced’ to take part

Piers Morgan defended the Jeremy Kyle Show, insisting guests aren’t forced to do anything, as he discussed the level of aftercare offered to contestants.

Morgan debated the issue with Lord Alan Sugar on Good Morning Britain following the apparent suicide of guest Steve Dymond who died a week after the programme was filmed.

Referring to the deaths of former Love Island contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis, Morgan said: “Ultimately the issue, it seems to me, seeing this with two Love Island contestants who took their lives and now this tragedy on The Jeremy Kyle Show, these people are going on television.

“No one is forcing them to. It raises a lot of complex issues on whether they are up for doing it.”

He continued: “You can check people as much as they like but ultimately if they want to do it, they know the show they’re appearing on and they know what will happen.”

Lord Sugar, who fronts The Apprentice on BBC, described the Jeremy Kyle Show as “a different kettle of fish” to other reality TV series.

“In defence of programmes like The Apprentice or Britain’s Got Talent, it’s an ongoing process,” he said. “We have people looking after the candidates all the time – what is known as a house team – who are keeping an eye on them all of the time and I’m sure ITV do the same.

“The Jeremy Kyle Show is a different kettle of fish unfortunately and the format is completely different as you know… But on our show, these people are looked after very well.”

The debate came a day after the ITV show was pulled indefinitely following Mr Dymond’s death.

He had taken a lie-detector test on the show in a bid to convince his fiancée Jane Callaghan that he had not been unfaithful, but they split after he failed, according to The Sun.

An ITV spokeswoman said: “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.

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

They also revealed the episode featuring the participant who died will be submitted for a review due to the “seriousness of this event”.

On air since 2005, the show sees host Jeremy Kyle and psychotherapist Graham Stanier attempt to help guests discuss their personal issues in front of a studio audience, with lie detector and DNA tests used to get answers.

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