Jerry Springer, the legendary American TV host, has died at the age of 79.
His family confirmed that he died on Thursday at his home in the Chicago area, following a brief illness.
Jene Galvin, a lifelong friend and spokesman for the family said in a statement: “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 humour will live on.”
A politician-turned-presenter, he was most famous for his eponymous tabloid talk show, The Jerry Springer Show, which he always ended with the catchphrase: “Take care of yourself and each other”.
Synonymous with strippers, food-fights and punch ups, it was a massive ratings hit, airing for 27 seasons and nearly 5,000 episodes from 1991 to 2018.
With infamous episodes including The Man Who Married A Horse and My Girlfriend is a Man, the show even inspired its own musical, Jerry Springer: The Opera.
Frequently derided as low-brow TV, and criticised for its exploitative nature, Springer always stood by his show, describing it as a rebellion against the elite, in a world where only the rich and famous were considered worthy for screen time.
Away from The Jerry Springer Show, he also hosted America’s Got Talent from 2007 to 2008.
Pic: AP
Once telling Sky News, “I’m a schlub who got lucky,” he depreciatingly described himself as “Talk show host, ringmaster of civilization’s end” in his Twitter bio.
Springer was born in 1944 in Highgate, an underground station in North London.
His parents, who were German-Jewish refugees, were in the station sheltering from a German bombing raid during the Second World War at the time.
Springer went on to move to America aged five.
