CHICAGO, IL—Jerry Springer who hosted “The Jerry Springer Show” for 27 years died at the age of 79 on Thursday, April 27. According to a statement from his family he had been suffering from a “brief illness.” TMZ reported that Springer was suffering from pancreatic cancer.
“Jerry’s ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried, whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word. He’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humor will live on,” said family spokesman Jene Galvin in a statement.
“The Jerry Springer Show” ran from 1991 to 2018. It ran for 4,969 episodes and featured relationship disputes, violence and family rivalries. “I would never watch my show. I’m not interested in it. It’s not aimed towards me. This is just a silly show,” Springer told Reuters News in 2000.
In a 2014 interview with the BBC, Springer said the show is “Stupid” but he’s “not ashamed of it.”
The show was the inspiration behind “The Jeremy Kyle Show.” This was a similar show made in Britain that ran from 2005-2019.
Springer was a guest host on three WWE shows between 2010-2015
He worked on the Robert Kennedy presidential campaign in 1968. He was elected to the Cincinnati City Council in 1971 and resigned 1974. In 1977, he served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio for one year. He failed to win the democratic nomination for governor of Ohio in 1982.
