Jeremy Kyle thinks he's lucky enough to get paid for what the rest of us do for free – listening to friends’ problems.
He said: “I am just like my mates – I listen to people and say what I think," he says. “It's just part of life for me.”
But Jeremy has more experience than most of us at trouble-shooting human relationships.
After hosting the late night Confessions show on Capital FM, Jeremy's talent for straight-talking honesty won him a top spot on ITV Daytime with The Jeremy Kyle Show.
“I always say exactly what I think and not what people want to hear," he said. “It's very important to get to the truth and sort things out, then move on – we've only got one life, it's not a rehearsal.”
“Ordinary people come on the show– but you usually find that they have extraordinary lives, that's what fascinates me.”
Jeremy was born in London and did lots of jobs – from cleaning cars at a garage to stacking bananas in a supermarket – before landing his radio job.
His private life hasn't been roses all the way either. He's gone through a divorce, and has a daughter from that marriage.
Jeremy was so determined to keep his relationship going with his daughter that he would drive five hours through the night after a late finish at work.
“I'd get there at 5am, get a couple of hours rest, then play with her all weekend,” he said. “I just couldn't miss her growing up, or not be her dad.
“I always feel for the guys who can't see their kids and I have little sympathy for those blokes who don't make any effort to look after the kids they've brought into the world.”
Jeremy is now married to Carla and they have two children. He admits home is a haven after the emotional rollercoaster of his TV show.
“People ask me how I cope with some of the agonising things I hear,” he said. “The truth is that of course some things haunt you – but I have to switch off to survive and I do that when I go home.
“What this show does is to give you perspective on your own life. I often tell myself that I must never complain again about not getting enough kip, or something minor going wrong.
“Many of the people I meet face terror and tragedy in their lives – and they keep going. I really admire them.”
