US talk show star Jerry Springer has died aged 79, after being diagnosed with cancer a few months ago. A statement from his family confirmed that he passed away “peacefully” after the brief illness.
While he was best known for his often-fiery episodes of The Jerry Springer Show in the United States, he actually began life in the city of London.
He was born in Highgate Station in 1944 as his mother – who, like his father, was a Jewish refugee from a part of what was then Germany – took shelter from bombing during World War II. He then lived in East Finchley until he moved to New York in 1949.
After a stint as a politician (unsuccessfully running for Congress in 1970), he became the world-renowned broadcaster that many know him for, hosting the raucous Jerry Springer Show for 27 years. The show was often viewed with controversy due to arguments with or between guests invited on, but it saw Springer become a household name in the United States.
The Jerry Springer Show stopped airing in 2018, and Springer ran three series of the courtroom show Judge Jerry. His last TV appearance was on The Masked Singer, where he performed as “The Beetle”.
Jene Galvin, a spokesperson for the Spring family, said: “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 said.
“He’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humour will live on.”
Jerry Springer was 79, and is survived by Katie Springer, his daughter, and his sister Evelyn.