A GLASGOW taxi firm has become the new sponsor of ITV chat programme The Jeremy Kyle Show.

Glasgow Private Hire are now the Scottish advertising partners of the show, taking the place of previous UK-wide sponsors.

Operated by taxi tycoon Steven Malcolm, the firm will now be featured at both the beginning and end of the broadcast.

With a business empire spanning from Ayr to Edinburgh, the 54-year-old millionaire runs a string of successful business.

The TV show, hosted by Jeremy Kyle himself, has previously been criticised after violent encounters between guests on the show.

It relies on guests confronting other guests with the aim of resolving issues from their personal life. However, in the past on-screen antics have turned aggressive.

Eleven years ago, a government-backed company, Learndirect, cancelled their £500,000 sponsorship deal with the ITV show amid concerns over its content.

Running five days a week for an hour each day, The Jeremy Kyle Show reaches more than a million viewers every day.

Last week, STV confirmed that the advertising arrangement was only temporary until a return of a full network sponsor, and would not be a long-term fixture of their programming.