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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Susan Knox

Jeremy Kyle's dark past - affair with nanny, gambling addiction and spiralling debts

The Jeremy Kyle show is well recognised as one of the most chaotic and controversial shows in the history of British television.

The ITV show was axed from the air in May 2019 after one troubled guest took his life after appearing on it a number of days earlier.

Jeremy's tumultuous show featured guests in all sorts of dilemmas, from cheating spouses and paternity tests to the infamous lie detector and the nail-biting wait for results that followed.

But away from the drama of the ITV reality TV show, Jeremy's life was quite chaotic too.

While he regularly interviewed guests who found themselves in downward spirals, once upon a time, the 56-year-old presenter also found himself battling addiction.

Jeremy has lived quite a chaotic life away from the cameras (ITV)

The controversial host battled an addiction to gambling and once found himself £12,000 in debt.

He has also been married and divorced twice and is a father to five children.

In October 2021, Jeremy finally married his partner of four years Vicky Burton despite having to postpone their nuptials several times.

As it turns out, Vicky just so happened to be the former nanny to Jeremy's children.

Marriage, Crisis and Addiction

Jeremy met his first wife, Kirsty Rowley, in 1988 before he was famous and working while he was employed as an accountant.

Their daughter, Harriet, now 31, was born in June 1990, but his marriage broke down just a year later.

Following their crumbling marriage, Kirsty claimed that Jeremy had taken money from her bank account to fund his gambling addiction.

Jeremy reacted to Kirty's claims by saying that his struggles began as his first marriage was 'crumbling' around him.

Jeremy and Kirsty on their wedding day in 1988 (Sunday Mirror)

The turning point came for Jeremy when he found himself £12,000 in debt.

The TV host found himself at his lowest point during this time, but thankfully, he was able to turn his life around.

Jeremy wrote about his battle with addiction in his 2009 book, I'm Only Being Honest, admitting that the idea of gambling 'seduced' him.

"Gambling is the mistress that truly seduced me. I will never understand what a hit of heroin feels like, but gambling I get. Big time," he penned.

"Plenty of days I can remember taking money out of the cashpoint and going to the bookies and then losing and going again to the cashpoint — and back again and again.

Jeremy and Kirsty had a daughter Harriet together (Sunday Mirror)
Jeremy Kyle found love with Carla Germaine after his broken marriage with Kirsty (Getty Images)

"There was this pull and suddenly I was chasing money, trying to achieve something that has never been achieved: making a bookie poor."

After experiencing some of the darkest times in his life, Jeremy was able to finally overcome his life-altering addiction.

He finally decided to get on the straight-and-narrow, and soon after, he met his second wife - former model Carla Germaine in 1999 - while he was presenting on the Birmingham-based radio station, 96.4 BRMB.

Another Crumbling Marriage

Jeremy's love story with Carla wasn't to last though.

After the pair first met when Carla took part in a blind date wedding competition - named Two Strangers And A Wedding - the lovebirds welcomed three children together.

However, after several blissful years together, their romance began to dwindle - with Jeremy admitting that he had not had sex for months on end which contributed to the end of his marriage.

Jeremy and Carla split in 2015 (PA)

In 2015, the pair announced their split after 13 years of marriage.

At the time, Jeremy said: "We have sadly grown apart over recent years and have been living apart since earlier this summer."

The former couple were granted a 'quickie divorce' in February 2016 and the court hearing lasted a mere 20 seconds.

Carla cited Jeremy's 'unreasonable behaviour' as the reason for the breakdown of their marriage.

'Affair' With The Nannny

The happy couple had to rearrange their wedding six times (Instagram/ @grahamstanier1)
Jeremy Kyle and Vicky Burton wed in October 2021 (Instagram/ @grahamstanier1)

Before Jeremy and Carla officially divorced, it was reported that the TV host had been dating their children's nanny Vicky Burton for two months - unbeknownst to Carla.

Vicky had been looking after Jeremy and Carla's children: Alice, 16, Ava, 14, and 11-year-old Henry.

After two years dating, Jeremy got down on one knee and popped the question to Vicky in 2018.

Ever the romantic, Jeremy popped the question on Valentine's Day.

Vicky was a former nanny to Jeremy's three children (Mark Large/ANL/REX/Shutterstock)
Jeremy Kyle and partner Vicky Burton at Royal Ascot (Daily Mirror)

The couple welcomed their first child together and Jeremy's fifth child in February 2020.

The pair tied the knot in October 2021 in a romantic ceremony at All Saints Church in Windsor, Berks.

Speaking to The Sun, he said: “Vick’s been my rock in my darkest times.

“So to see her today, having such fun enjoying the wedding of her dreams, was perfect.

“Thankfully, at what is our sixth attempt after all the Covid cancellations and postponements, we got to enjoy the big day we’d both longed for.”

The End of The Jeremy Kyle Show

The Jeremy Kyle show was axed in May 2019 following the tragic death of a guest (ITV)

The Jeremy Kyle Show was dramatically pulled off the air in May 2019 after guest Steve Dymond died just days after recording an episode.

Following Steve's death, reviews were held by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, and the decision was taken to pull the popular morning show off the air for good.

Jeremy has yet to address the tragedy, but has revealed that that he will address Steve's death "when the time is right".

Last year, Jeremy admitted he has battled with anxiety and depression ever since and has had to take medication for the mental health conditions.

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