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The Jeremy Kyle show was dramatically axed after 14 years today following the death of a guest in a suspected suicide.

ITV’s chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall said: “Given the gravity of recent events we have decided to end production of The Jeremy Kyle Show.”

The decision to bring an abrupt end to one of the most popular programmes on British daytime television came two days after ITV suspended the show over the death of Steve Dymond.

The 63-year-old father’s body was found a week after he failed an on-camera lie detector test that supposedly revealed he had been untruthful about cheating on his fiance. He is believed to have taken a drug overdose.

Yesterday Downing Street described Mr Dymond’s case as “deeply disturbing” and a petition calling on ITV bosses to axe the show - accusing it of making “entertainment out of suffering and humiliation” - had reached 61,000 signatures today.

Dame Carolyn, who is said not have been a fan of the show, added: “The Jeremy Kyle Show has had a loyal audience and has been made by a dedicated production team for 14 years, but now is the right time for the show to end.

“Everyone at ITV’s thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of Steve Dymond.”

ITV said a previously announced review of the episode in which Mr Dymond appeared will continue.

The Jeremy Kyle Show regularly attracted more one million viewers but had been compared by a judge to “human bear-baiting.”

The cancellation of ITV’s most-watched daytime show has further hit its parent company’s share price, which has fallen by 20 per cent from 140p in late April. Today it dipped 1.4p, or 1.2 per cent, to 111.5p

More details of Mr Dymond’s fragile mental state emerged today with one member of the audience during the recording of Mr Dymond’s lie detector test claiming that he was “crying throughout” filming and had “collapsed.”.

Student Babette Lucas-Marriot ttold the BBC that Mr Dymond was “crying from the very beginning” and “begging” for forgiveness.”

She added: “He was so convinced he would pass this test and everything would be fine.

“Then they introduced themselves, tell them what’s happened and then Jeremy brings out the lie detector test.

“He asked the audience, ‘Who thinks he’s gonna pass?’ and 99 per cent of the audience put their hands up, including myself, then it said he’d failed.

“You just saw him collapse to the ground, he couldn’t believe what he’d heard.

“He was begging his fiancee for forgiveness.”

Building machinery operator Mr Dymond and his partner Jane Callaghan reportedly split after he failed the test.

In an emotional phone call following filming, Mr Dymond told his son Carl Woolley, 39, that the presenter had “ripped into him” on stage.

Mr Woolley, a health and safety adviser, told the Daily Mail: “I called after he got home from filming the episode. He was distraught over the break-up of the relationship.

“He had gone on the show solely to clear his name [about allegedly cheating on Miss Callaghan] but he said it had gone wrong because of the lie detector test.

“He was adamant that he did not lie. He was so upset that he wasn’t making much sense, but he just kept repeating: ‘I haven’t cheated, Carl, I swear I haven’t cheated’.”

Mr Woolley said a note addressed to him was found alongside Mr Dymond’s body in the Portsmouth flat where he had been lodging.

He added: “I’m satisfied Steve intended to kill himself. In the note, he apologised and asked me not to hate him for what he has done.”

Gavin Hill, a television producer hired to film behind-the-scenes at the Jeremy Kyle Show, claimed the programme “ruthlessly broke” people who appeared on it before hastily trying to “glue them back together in 10 minutes afterwards”.

He alleged that tricks were used to make the guests act explosively on stage – including feeding feuding families “complete lies” about one another, telling The Mirror: “It was distressing to see so many worlds torn apart and so little done to mend them afterwards.”

Yesterday a spokeswoman for the broadcaster said its “guest welfare team” - made up of a consultant psychotherapist and three mental health nurses - carry out comprehensive checks.

She said: “Prior to the show a comprehensive assessment is carried out by the guest welfare team on all potential contributors.

“The guests are interviewed by guest welfare face-to-face at studios and prior to filming.

“Throughout filming, the participants are supported by the guest welfare team.

“After filming has ended, all guests are seen by a member of the guest welfare team.”

Kyle, who was filmed near his home in Windsor yesterday, is yet to comment personally.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123, or visit a local Samaritans branch. See samaritans.org​