Jeremy Kyle, 59, is 'a softie' with 'secret romantic gestures' says wife, 40

TV star Jeremy Kyle may come across as brash and no-nonsense on television, but as his wife explains, he's a total 'softie' at home - and quite the romantic, too

For anyone familiar with TV presenter Jeremy Kyle's on-air persona, they'll know that it's straight-talking and no-holds-barred, all the way. But when the cameras stop rolling, this couldn't be far from the truth. The family man is an adoring husband and a doting father, whose kids are the apples of their daddy's eye, as OK! finds out.

Opening up during an exclusive shoot, it's clear that Jeremy, 59, is a lot less scary than his TV appearances might suggest. And it's something his wife Vicky, 40, would attest to. “He’s actually a total softie,” she giggles, as the couple cuddle up to Oliver and his little sister Iris, Jeremy’s sixth child, who was born in January. She adds: "Jeremy is not the scary person he’s portrayed as on screen. He’s gentle and kind and he wants the best for everyone.”

There’s no doubt Vicky – along with Jeremy’s older children, Harriet, 34, from his first marriage and Alice, 20, Ava, 19, and Henry, 15, from his second – has been Jeremy's rock, throughout. And she has also brought out a surprisingly romantic side to her TV star husband, which viewers at home night not be surprised by.

“He’s one of the last breed of traditional, kind men,” she gushes. “He’ll make me a coffee every morning, he’ll buy me flowers, he’s a romantic. You say you want to find someone just like your dad and I have.”

“I’m as old as your dad, that’s for sure,” Jeremy jokes, before adding, “The most romantic thing we do is at 5.45 every morning when we’ll sit together and eat a digestive biscuit with a cup of tea. It’s the simple things. And I couldn’t be happier. Finally, the future is looking bright again.”

Loved-up Jeremy adds of his wife, who was previously nanny to Jeremy's three children from his second marriage, "The ultimate compliment I can give Victoria is that she reminds me of my mum. She’s the most amazing mother. It’s the most underrated job in the world, being a full-time mum. She has my full respect.”

It has been two months now since Jeremy was “exonerated” over the tragic death of Steve Dymond, who appeared on the hugely popular ITV daytime programme The Jeremy Kyle Show in 2019, to prove he hadn’t cheated on his partner. Tragically, Steve died by suicide seven days later.

And Jeremy wears his heart on his sleeve, as he discusses the terrible toll the ensuing five years have taken. Revealing just how much his wife has helped him through the darkest times, he adds, “For two years it was horrific, and I had a complete breakdown,” he says. “It was Vicky who dragged me out of bed. She saved me.”

If you've been affected by any of the issues in this story you can contact Samaritans in the UK and Ireland on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie