'I was hunted and scapegoated': Jeremy Kyle breaks silence on ITV sacking that left him unable to open the curtains and taking pills for his anxiety after show guest's suicide

Jeremy Kyle has revealed that he spiralled into depression and had to take pills for anxiety after his show was cancelled following a guest's death.

The former daytime TV host said he couldn't leave the house 'or even open the curtains' after being left 'completely devastated' at losing his job.

The show was axed in May 2019 after Steven Dymond, 63, is believed to have killed himself less than a week after failing a lie detector test while filming an episode of the show. That show was not broadcast.

Breaking his silence on the axing, Kyle, 56, told The Sun he felt 'awful' at being 'scapegoated' over the death, saying that accusations 'often seemed to be levelled only at me'. 

Jeremy Kyle has revealed that he spiralled into depression and had to take pills for anxiety after his show was cancelled following a guest's death

'I’ve felt hunted and made out to be responsible for everything that ever took place around that show. But I was just the face of it,' he added.

After losing his job on The Jeremy Kyle Show, which had been running since 2005, the star became depressed and 'completely demotivated'.

'Every ounce of energy seemed to have gone and I just couldn't bring myself to leave the house or even open the curtains. 

'I used to think "get a grip" when some celebrities talked about those sort of problems. But suddenly I realised first-hand you can't always do that, I never thought they would affect me like they did.'

Prior to the show's cancellation Kyle had already suffered a series of professional and personal setbacks.

The show was axed in May 2019 after Steven Dymond, 63, is believed to have killed himself less than a week after failing a lie detector test while filming an episode of the show. That show was not broadcast.

In 2012 he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, before a year later losing his US version of the show. He had also gone through a very public divorce in 2016, something which was often picked upon by guests looking to hit back at Kyle's personal questioning.

It was however, he says, his fiancee Vicky Burton who encouraged him to see a doctor after the axing and he was diagnosed with anxiety disorder.

The diagnosis, Kyle believes, is what helped him to get back up and 'start to rebuild things'.

Kyle, who is believed to be planning a return to television with a new series, gave his sympathies to Mr Dymond's family, describing his death as a 'terrible tragedy'.

Mr Dymond, a construction worker, died from a morphine overdose days after filming his episode on the show. He had also been suffering from an underlying heart problem.

He applied to be on the show to prove he had not cheated on his ex — but failed a lie-detector test. 

Family members have said that the events on the show were too much for him to cope with.

An inquest into the death is still ongoing.  

Kyle added that he would not comment at the moment on the death and circumstances surrounding it but that 'When the time is right and it is appropriate to do so, I will have my say.'

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