A television legend Jerry Springer fought pancreatic cancer until his death at age 79
Jerry Springer, 79, the legendary host of the long-running and widely popular syndicated talk show “The Jerry Springer Show,” has passed away. Springer’s 27-year run as host made the show a cultural phenomenon that would be remembered for years to come because of the outrageous guests and dramatic on-air confrontations.
A family representative said Jerry had been battling a short illness; sources later verified that it was pancreatic cancer. In a sad turn of events this week, Jerry passed away at his home in the Chicago region on Thursday morning.
Jerry’s political career began before his entry into television; he ran for U.S. Congress in 1970 but lost, was elected to the Cincinnati City Council in 1971, and eventually became mayor of Cincinnati in 1977. After his one stint in office, he moved on to television and became a household name thanks to his chat show.
While it may have started out as a show about politics, “The Jerry Springer Show” quickly rose to fame thanks to its outrageous antics and crowd chants of “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!” In certain places in the late ’90s, the show’s ratings even surpassed those of Oprah Winfrey, and it just stopped airing in 2018.
During the three-year run of “Judge Jerry,” Jerry made one final TV appearance. Last season, he also made an unexpected appearance on “The Masked Singer” as “The Beetle,” performing a Frank Sinatra standard.
Since Jerry’s cancer battle escalated dramatically a month ago, he has been unable to return to work. Before he passed away, he was the host of a folk music show on a Cincinnati radio station.
Katie Springer, Jerry’s daughter, and Evelyn, his older sister, are all that remain of Jerry’s family. Millions of people all across the world will always be grateful to him for what he did for television and for his legacy. Jerry, may you finally rest in peace.