A man who weighed more than 30 stone has told how he feels that if it wasn't for The Jeremy Kyle Show he would be dead by now.
Jonathan Kingston, 33, from Devon, turned to the show for help in 2016 after a doctor told him he would die within three months if he didn't lose weight.
He has now spoken out in defence of the ITV show - which got cancelled last week following the death of former guest Steven Dymond, Devon Live reports.
Despite outrage against the show, the father-of-one wants to put the record straight and says the show did more than save his life, it gave him a second chance.
"In my eyes, no one is forced into what to say on the show," Jonathan said.
"Everything that has been reported so far has been exaggerated and none of it is true. At the end of the day when you go on a show like that, you know what he's going to throw at you and you have to be prepared for it.
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"I think it is terribly sad that someone has taken their life from the show, but in 14 years Jeremy Kyle has done so much good, he has reunited families, helped with weight loss and drug addiction, and he won't be able to do that anymore."
Jonathan, who was unable to work when he was at his heaviest weight said after some persuasion from his mum he applied to go on the show.
He said: "I had tried every diet going and nothing seemed to work, but when I went on Jeremy Kyle he gave me the truth that I needed to hear.
"He didn't hold back at all, he told me I was lazy and said that if I didn't change my ways then I would be nothing to my son.
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"It was brutal but that was the point when it hit me and he told me I had one chance and I either take it or leave it. So I took it."
Jonathan, who now works at Asda in Barnstaple said he was sent to bootcamp for 12 weeks which helped him to lose a staggering seven stone.
He added: "When he told me I was going to bootcamp, initially I was frightened but honestly it was the best thing I have ever done. I couldn't fault it at all.
"I had to do military-style training for 12 weeks while on a caveman diet, which meant I could only eat anything you can catch on hunt or pick or grow yourself. There were no carbs or sugar.
"The diet was a complete shock to the system and on day three they had to call the ambulance because I thought I was having a heart attack. However after tests they soon discovered it was because I wasn't having any sugar.
"Although despite all of that I didn't want to give up, I did it for my son and myself and I will be forever grateful because I can now play football with him and go martial arts with him. It has changed my life."
"I can't fault the aftercare one bit," he added.
"A member of staff from the show has contacted me every month since I went on there to check up on me and ask how things are going, they have been great.
"Even when I went on the show, I initially wore joggers because that's all that would fit me but a staff member went out into Manchester and bought an outfit for me to wear.
"They also cut my hair for me before I went on stage."
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