ITV is working on a new project around Jeremy Kyle, whose long-running but controversial daytime TV show was cancelled by the broadcaster in May after the suspected suicide of a participant.
The development – along with the return of Kyle’s investigative journalism series The Kyle Files in 2020 – was confirmed by ITV director of television Kevin Lygo .
"We have an ongoing commitment to The Kyle Files [and] we are piloting something with him, and we will just have to have a look because he is a consummate broadcaster and it would be absolutely wrong to apportion blame of the show against the presenter of it," Lygo said.
The body of Steve Dymond was found in May, days after he appeared on The Jeremy Kyle Show and failed a lie-detector test he took to try to prove that he had not cheated on his fiancée. The inquest into his death is adjourned until 21 November.
ITV cancelled the show with chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall citing "the gravity of recent events" and expressing sympathy for Dymond’s family and friends, but also stating that the broadcaster would continue to work with Kyle on other projects.
The Jeremy Kyle Show was estimated by media buyers to generate £328,000 in ad revenue per airing, in addition to a £2m sponsorship deal from Sun Bingo over a year’s run.
Lygo added that he doubted Kyle would return to the same 9.30am slot.
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