This seems to fit here. The Jeremy Kyle Show was apparently ITV's most popular programme.
The Jeremy Kyle Show axed by ITV after death of guest
The Jeremy Kyle Show was the most popular programme in ITV's daytime schedule, with an average of one million viewers and a 22% audience share.
When did the rot set in? Was it with Thatcher ("no such thing as society", communities left behind, widening divide between rich and poor, deteriorating educational standards, etc.)? Or is it just a deterioration in TV tastes, with a liking for "reality shows" and public humiliation (Jeremy Kyle Show apparently started in 2005, The Weakest Link in 2000, Big Brother in 2000)?