Showbiz
A judge has branded The Jeremy Kyle Show "morbid" and has slammed it for being a "human form of bear bating" after he convicted a man for assault for an incident on the show.
David Staniforth, 45, had squared up to Larry Mahoney, who had been having an affair with his wife, and then headbutted him while being filmed for the programme. ITV did not broadcast the footage.
Judge Alan Berg fined Staniforth £300 plus an extra £60 costs for assaulting Mahoney.
Berg slammed the show for encouraging such behaviour, saying during the trial: "It seems to me that the whole purpose of the Jeremy Kyle Show is to affect a morbid and depressing display of dysfunctional people who are in some kind of turmoil.
"It is for no more and no less than titillating members of the public who have nothing better to do with their mornings than sit and watch this show which is a human form of bear baiting which goes under the guise of entertainment.
"The people responsible for this, namely the producers, should in my opinion be in the dock with you, Mr Staniforth.”
Mr Staniforth also claimed that he was misled by TV bosses, who had allegedly said there could be a reconciliation between him and his wife if he appeared.
He said: "I felt I was manipulated into appearing on the show in an attempt to reconcile with my wife which I think was said now as just a ploy to get me on the show.
"My opinion is that they wanted to boost the ratings and were short of guests. Jeremy Kyle was very rude to me."
David Staniforth, 45, had squared up to Larry Mahoney, who had been having an affair with his wife, and then headbutted him while being filmed for the programme. ITV did not broadcast the footage.
Judge Alan Berg fined Staniforth £300 plus an extra £60 costs for assaulting Mahoney.
Berg slammed the show for encouraging such behaviour, saying during the trial: "It seems to me that the whole purpose of the Jeremy Kyle Show is to affect a morbid and depressing display of dysfunctional people who are in some kind of turmoil.
"It is for no more and no less than titillating members of the public who have nothing better to do with their mornings than sit and watch this show which is a human form of bear baiting which goes under the guise of entertainment.
"The people responsible for this, namely the producers, should in my opinion be in the dock with you, Mr Staniforth.”
Mr Staniforth also claimed that he was misled by TV bosses, who had allegedly said there could be a reconciliation between him and his wife if he appeared.
He said: "I felt I was manipulated into appearing on the show in an attempt to reconcile with my wife which I think was said now as just a ploy to get me on the show.
"My opinion is that they wanted to boost the ratings and were short of guests. Jeremy Kyle was very rude to me."
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