Jerry Springer, the well-known talk show host and former mayor of Cincinnati, has passed away. image source People Magazine
Jerry Springer, the well-known talk show host and former mayor of Cincinnati, has passed away. His passing was confirmed by his long-time publicist, Linda Shafran, who stated that he passed away on Thursday at his suburban Chicago home after a brief illness. He was 79 years old.
According to Jene Galvin, a close friend and family spokesperson, “Jerry’s exceptional ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in all of his endeavors, whether it was politics, broadcasting, or simply interacting with people on the street who wanted a quick photo or conversation.
Jerry Springer’s loss is immeasurable, and while we mourn his passing deeply, we will always cherish memories of his intellect, heart, and humor.”
Springer rose to fame through his popular show, The Jerry Springer Show, which featured real people from across the country revealing scandalous, often lurid details of their lives, such as infidelity, love triangles, and even incest. Fights between guests were not uncommon, and the audience would often erupt into chants of “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!”
Jerry Springer was born in London during World War II, but he and his family relocated to New York when he was still a child. In the 1970s, Springer successfully ran for a seat on the Cincinnati city council, and later served as the city’s mayor for one term.
Despite his eventual success, Jerry Springer initially had doubts about the longevity of his show. “I recall when we first announced the show in 1991,” he shared with the Cincinnati Enquirer, “I thought to myself, ‘Who are we fooling? We’ll be lucky to last 13 weeks!'” However, The Jerry Springer Show went on to enjoy an impressive run of 27 years.
