JEREMY Kyle faces a second suicide scandal — over a distraught mum who killed herself six days after appearing on his show.
Erica Pawson, 33, took an overdose when husband Paul took presenter Kyle’s advice and dumped her following the programme.
Paul, 54, of Louth, Lincs, said: “If it wasn’t for the show, she’d still be here. I blame Kyle.”
ITV axed The Jeremy Kyle Show on Wednesday over guest Stephen Dymond’s suspected suicide.
Paul has accused the presenter of cynically destroying the lives of guests.
He walked out on wife Erica and their teenage daughter, ending the 18-year marriage, because he mistakenly took the advice Kyle repeatedly gave him during a show segment called Britain’s Worst Husband.
Paul added: “I think Kyle thrives on destroying people’s lives.
“As far as I’m concerned, he destroyed mine and my daughter’s life. He’s very aggressive to people he doesn’t know, he shouldn’t be like that. He’s very full on and in your face.
“He told me to leave Erica so I shook his hand and promised to leave the family home, which I did.
“At the end of the day, he ruined my wife’s life. She killed herself.
“If it wasn’t for the show, Erica would still be here today, I know she would. I blame Jeremy Kyle.
“I’ve always blamed Kyle and ITV for what they did.”
Paul’s revelation comes days after ITV scrapped The Jeremy Kyle Show following the suspected overdose suicide of guest Stephen Dymond, a 63-year-old dad of two.
He went on the show to try to convince fiancée Jane Callaghan that he was not unfaithful — but she walked out on him after he failed Kyle’s lie detector.
He was found dead on May 9, six days after filming.
Paul, 54, of Louth, Lincs, yesterday said Stephen would still be alive had the show’s producers learned the lessons from Erica’s suicide in October 2005. But he claimed they swept it under the carpet instead.
He said: “Why didn’t they suspend the programme when my wife died? We never got counselling, we didn’t get anything.
“My daughter has had to see a specialist counsellor because of what happened.”
Paul said that when he and Erica went on the show there were no checks on their mental health beforehand.
It meant the show did not discover that Erica suffered from depression and had previously taken overdoses, Paul claimed. He also said neither of them were asked if they were taking medication.
In fact, Erica was on strong painkillers for osteoporosis.
And neither of them was psychologically screened — and no after-care was offered, Paul insisted.
I think Kyle thrives on destroying people’s lives.
Paul Pawson
During the show it is claimed Kyle repeatedly urged Paul to leave his wife — as the audience yelled its approval.
Handyman Paul, a dad of four, also told how the pair were separated for hours during filming.
He said producers “slagged him off” to provoke fragile Erica. Paul had previously admitted affairs but, like Stephen, went on the show in an effort to prove he was now faithful. But he too failed a lie detector test — prompting presenter Kyle to accuse him of being a poor husband.
After filming in Manchester on October 7, 2005, the couple were put in a taxi and sent home.
Paul moved out that evening and went to live in a caravan. Erica was later found dead from an overdose of prescription painkillers.
At an inquest, coroner’s officer Neil Jones said the show had “seriously affected the marriage” and highlighted the “advice” given to Paul on the show.
He added: “Remarks on the children wound him up and he was encouraged to leave home. Paul also found it difficult to come to terms about what Erica said about him on the show.”
Coroner Stuart Fisher, recording a suicide verdict, said: “The couple had serious marital difficulties. I suspect these contributed.”
Why didn’t they stop when my wife died?
Paul Pawson
Paul and Erica had previously appeared on another TV show about troubled marriages — the BBC’s Kilroy programme.
The episode was called Affairs In The Family.
Paul admitted their relationship had been rocky, adding: “I was a bit of a Jack-the-lad.
“But I always went back to her. And when she died it cut me up so much. I had years of hell.” The Jeremy Kyle Show featuring the couple was never screened.
In the wake of Erica’s death, Paul was told it would be pulled. He said he had no further contact with producers.
However Erica’s devastated parents Pat and Eric were later taken to Manchester to meet producers and view the unaired episode.
Pat, 79, said: “We were shown the episode in a green room.
“We were offered a cup of coffee but no apology.
“Jeremy Kyle told them over and over again that they were not right for one another. “He said they should go their separate ways. He was not qualified to give that advice. Paul tragically followed his advice and it just broke Erica.
“She wanted to fix the marriage, not break it.”
Eric, 81, said his daughter was clearly deeply depressed when Paul walked out.
He added: “She was extremely down. I’d never seen her like it before. I think she felt responsible.
JEREMY Kyle workers had to watch out for addicts’ needles, badger pregnant women and buy booze for alcoholics, it is claimed.
Ex-runner on the show Simone O’Kane, 35, whose hubby is ex-Man United footballer John, told The Sun on Sunday: “I’d never work there again. Some of the things that went on were outrageous.”
She said she was sent to shops to buy a four-pack of lager for a guest who refused to appear unless he had a drink.
She added: “There was also the time when I saw a producer telling a pregnant woman how disgusting it was that her man had cheated on her — as if she didn’t know that already. She was really upset and I just put my arm around her to try to comfort her.
“Producers would wind up the guests by saying their partner was bad mouthing them, just so they’d storm on set. They were just exploiting the vulnerable.
“The final straw for me was when a boss told me to be careful moving a guest’s bag as it might have needles in it.
“I didn’t dare go near him, never mind touch the bag.
“The guests would sometimes return to their dressing rooms in tears and were not given any counselling afterwards.
“We were made to chaperone them out of the building safely but as quickly as possible.”
Simone, now a journalist, did 12-hour shifts at the show’s Manchester studios until 2005.
ITV said: “This would have been in the early days under a different regime. It is difficult to make enquiries because many people will have moved on. But we do not recognise these production practices being used.”
“She had been the one to suggest going on Jeremy Kyle.
“Her life, her pain and her hopes had been reduced to little more than entertainment. Jeremy Kyle opened a can of worms. In that episode he decided their fate and yet he barely knew them.” Paul and Erica’s daughter Laura, now 26, accompanied her parents to the Kyle Show filming and was looked after by a crew member.
She said: “I don’t think Mum knew what the show was — she was just happy to be on TV.
“Mum was on so many tablets, she should have never been allowed to go on.”
Laura said that before the show, there were no serious problems between her mum and dad.
She added: “They had arguments — but they wouldn’t have split up.”
“I think she’d be alive if it wasn’t for the show. I think it brought it all up in her head.”
On Wednesday ITV said it was permanently scrapping the Jeremy Kyle Show in the wake of Stephen’s death. During its 14-year run the show courted controversy and was once accused of “demonising the poor”.
Kyle, on a £2million-a-year ITV contract, said of Stephen’s death: “Myself and the production team are utterly devastated.”
ITV acted after MPs criticised the show and Theresa May said Stephen’s suspected suicide death was “deeply concerning”.
The broadcaster, asked to comment on Paul’s claims, said: “All of our processes are regularly reviewed to ensure that they are fit for purpose in an ever-changing landscape.”
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
