Jerry Springer, the legendary talk show host and daytime TV star, has died age 79, TMZ reports.
Jerry Springer hosted the smash hit syndicated talk show “The Jerry Springer Show” for 27 years and it was never a boring moment on the raucous and wild show, which was known for its outrageous guests who usually got into crazy fights as the audience cheered, “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!”
The broadcaster, journalist and former Cincinnati Mayor passed away peacefully at his home in Chicago, according to a statement.
According to TMZ, he had been fighting cancer over the past months and had recently taken a turn for the worse.
A family spokesperson told TMZ that Jerry Springer was battling a “brief illness.” Our sources tell us it was pancreatic cancer that was diagnosed a few months ago, and this week he took a turn for the worse.
The spokesperson says he died Thursday morning, peacefully at his home in the Chicago area.
Before TV, he was a politician who ran a failed campaign for U.S. Congress in 1970, got elected to Cincinnati’s City Council in 1971 and became the city’s mayor in 1977. He served one term.
But, Springer became a worldwide sensation with his show which debuted in 1991. Most people won’t remember this, but when he started Jerry’s show focused on political issues. Of course, it eventually became the exact opposite and a ratings smash.
Jerry’s show was so popular in the late ’90s, it even topped Oprah Winfrey’s in several cities. ‘Springer’ finally went off the air in 2018.
He made one more run in TV, with his courtroom show, “Judge Jerry,” which ran for 3 seasons.
A family spokesperson says Jerry was battling a “brief illness.” TMZ sources revealed that it was pancreatic cancer that was diagnosed a few months ago, and this week he took a turn for the worse.
The spokesperson says he died Thursday morning, peacefully at his home in the Chicago area.