Since the early nineties, mid-morning reality TV has been something of an obsession for many Brits. From Jerry Springer to Vanessa, Trisha to Kilroy, our desire to find out who had cheated on their neighbour – or who has a drug problem – has meant these shows have been a consistent fixture on our screens.
Now The Jeremy Kyle Show has been suspended following the death of a guest shortly after he appeared on the programme. ITV has wiped the show from its online back catalogue. And there are calls for the programme to be axed for good. The controversy around Jeremy Kyle is nothing new. The shouting and screaming and fractious arguments on the show, presented for our titillation, have been a concern for some time. There is no doubt the show was entertaining. But what about those who took part? Were their lives really any better as a result of appearing? It would be hard to think so.
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