Talk Show Host Best Known For Chaotic And Drama-Filled Shows Dies At 79

Talk show host Jerry Springer is best known for his often chaotic and drama-filled talk show. He described himself as a “ringmaster” of the show which he knew was chaos. However, he was more than just the host of a controversial show. Back in the 1970s, he focused on politics and was Mayor of Cincinnati.

Today comes the sad news that at the age of 79, Springer has died. A statement announcing his death simply describes the cause of death as a brief illness. He was at his home in Chicago when he died.

Page Six reports that the illness he battled was pancreatic cancer. He had been diagnosed just a few months prior to his death.

Jene Galvin, a spokesperson for Springer’s family, described the late talk show host as “irreplaceable.” Galvin explained, “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.”

“The Jerry Springer Show” ran from 1999 to 2016 filming 1956 total episodes. Besides this controversial and well-known talk show, Springer also produced and starred in “Ringmaster.” After the “Springer” show ended, he went on to try a slightly different kind of show called “Judge Jerry.” It wasn’t as popular as his original series and ended in 2020 after 3 seasons. Springer also competed on “Dancing with the Stars” and performed on “The Masked Singer.”

In 2011, in an interview for the Cincinnati Enquirer, Springer called his talk show a “silly show” but he was very grateful for it and for what it did for his life. He explained, “With all the joking I do with the show, I’m fully aware and thank God every day that my life has taken this incredible turn because of this silly show.”

“The Jerry Springer Show” originated in Cincinnati, but it was mainly filmed in Chicago; however, the last few years were filmed in New York.

Springer was born in London. His parents were Germans who flew to England during the Holocaust. They later moved to the United States when Springer was 5 years old.

He was married once. He and Margaret ‘Micki’ JoAnn Velten said “I do” in 1973, but they later divorced in 1994. They had one child, a daughter named Katie.

Springer is survived by his daughter.

Rest in peace.