Jerry Springer dies: Talk show host was 79

Jerry Springer, one of the most influential talk show hosts of the 1990s, has died at the age of 79.

Springer hosted his hit syndicated talk show The Jerry Springer Show, for 27 years, helping to revolutionize daytime talk shows and eventually becoming one of the format’s reigning figures. 

A spokesperson from the family tells TMZ Springer was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, and this week took a turn for the worse. He died in his home near Chicago. 

Before becoming the king of daytime talk shows, he had a political career and ran a campaign for U.S. Congress in 1970 that didn’t pan out. However, Springer got elected to Cincinnati’s City Council in 1971 and became the city’s mayor in 1977, serving one term.

However, Springer’s name didn’t become worldwide until his self-titled TV show debuted in 1991, which initially focused on political issues before transitioning to more controversial, provocative, and sensationalized topics. It was such a hit during the late ’90s that it beat Oprah‘s talk show in certain territories.

The show became so well known for its on-stage fights between guests that the show’s security staff, particularly Steve Wilkos, became popular and eventually spun off into his own daytime talk show.

After the show ended in 2018, Springer tried his hand at a courtroom show called Judge Jerry, which ran for three seasons. His final television appearance came from the previous season of The Masked Singer, which saw the legendary host perform as “The Beatle” and singing “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra.   

When asked what made him sign up for the singing competition series, he told TV Insider: “I’m semi-retired now, so normally, when I get asked to do things now I do them either [because] it’s important, like if it’s political, or it’s fun, if it’s show business. And this goes into the category, it’s just fun to do.”

He then revealed, “And my grandson would really get a kick out of it. I couldn’t tell him until last night. That’s really the reason I had time to do it, and it’s just a fun thing to do. ” 

Springer is survived by his daughter Katie Springer, his grandson, and his sister Evelyn.