According to the ITV website, The Jeremy Kyle Show is one of Britain’s most loved and talked-about shows. Although the last is indubitable, they might have to think about ditching the first after a judge, sentencing a man provoked into head-butting his wife’s lover on the show, condemned the programme as “a human form of bear-baiting under the guise of entertainment”. The judge added that, in his opinion, the producers of the show should have been in the dock as well.

The chat-show genre is no stranger to controversy: Jerry Springer’s guests have to sign a waiver agreeing to take responsibility for whatever happens, and back in 1995 the American Jenny Jones Show was in the metaphorical dock when one guest murdered a friend who had confessed live on air to having a gay crush on him.

Of his own show, however, Kyle says: “I don’t think it’s a freak show at all . . . I think that misses the point. A lot of care is taken to help people.”

Born in London, Kyle had an eclectic early career: cleaning cars, stacking bananas in a supermarket and selling life assurance. Finally, at the age of 31, he landed a job at a Birmingham radio station. From there he moved to Capital Radio in London, where his producer told him he was rubbish with the music but great at talking to listeners. A late-night “confessions” show was born, in which listeners called in anonymously to discuss their considerable problems live on air. Kyle had found his niche.

TV was the obvious next step, with The Jeremy Kyle Show filling the gap left by a departing Trisha in 2005. It was an instant success and now pulls in a 34 per cent audience share in its 9.25am slot, and a dispiritingly regular audience of up to 1.5 million. Kyle, who likes to be known as Jezza, is rumoured to be on a deal worth £1 million.

Now 40 and a keen golfer, he lives in Berkshire with his second wife, a former model, with whom he has two children. He also has a 15-year-old daughter from his first marriage. He credits Parkinson with being an inspiration for his career, and believes the secret to his success is that he’s just an ordinary bloke and a good listener.

“People ask me how I cope with some of the agonising things I hear,” he says, apparently confusing himself with someone who has an important or genuinely harrowing job. “The truth is that, of course, some things haunt you – but I have to switch off to survive.”

The show is currently appealing for mothers keen to identify, using DNA testing, the father of their child. One can only hope that the sensitive Kyle isn’t unduly traumatised by the results.

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