Credit: NBCIt has been announced that legendary and controversial talk show host Jerry Springer has died at 79 years old. First reported by Cincinnati’s WLWT, Springer’s family revealed to the news outlet that he died peacefully in his suburban home in Chicago. The news outlet has also indicated Springer’s family has not yet set up funeral arrangements. They have instead asked that fans and well-wishers donate to a worthy cause instead of sending flowers.
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A spokesperson for Springer stated, “He’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart, and humor will live on.”
Jerry Springer started his life in politics when he ran for Congress in 1970, though he failed to be elected. However, he would be elected to the Cincinnati Council in 1971, only to resign after news of the Northern Kentucky Sex Scandal broke. Despite leaving out of disgrace by this scandal, he would be reelected to the City Council a year later, showcasing his popularity in the city. This popularity led to him serving as the Mayor of Cincinnati in 1977.
Springer would leave behind politics shortly after to pursue his dreams in show business. The Jerry Springer Show aired in 1991, and the popularity of the tabloid-style show led to the man leaving behind his new anchor job for Cincinnati and focusing on the daytime talk show game.
The Jerry Springer Show became a powerhouse in the 1990s. The format generally followed a much more tabloid journalism take, bringing on some of the most controversial hosts and exploring the deeply adult subject matter. Though the 1990s was jam-packed with popular daytime talk show hosts, Springer’s wild antics put him in a category all his own.
While shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show, Geraldo, The Montell Williams Show, The Ricki Lake Show, and The Jenny Jones Show all focused on subject matter that was a tad more uplifting, Jerry Springer was bringing on neo-Nazis, strippers, and all manner of cheating spouses.
The typical nature of his show involved massive brawls, chairs being thrown, and pure chaos. Springer would end his show with his “final thought, ” a monologue that generally combated the chaos and offered viewers some sort of hope they could think on.
The Jerry Springer Show ran from 1991 to 2018, when he finally stepped away from hosting, though it became syndicated. The syndication allowed the show to be aired on multiple networks, though the content was heavily censored to comply with FCC regulations.
Jerry Springer stepped away from his talk show and took on a more contemporary career in podcasting, as he hosted The Jerry Springer Podcast. He was also hired to host a courtroom reality show called Judge Jerry. Jerry revealed that in 2019, NBC approached him to host their take on shows like Judge Judy and Judge Joe Brown. Judge Jerry lasted for three seasons.
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Jerry Springer was in a league all his own, as his show took daytime television to a place that most other programs did not. We offer our condolences to his family and all fans; we say: Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!
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