Jerry Springer, famed talk show host and Cincinnati mayor, dies at 79, family says

Jerry Springer, who rose to fame in daytime television following a career in politics, has died, his family said. He was 79.

Springer died peacefully at his home in Chicago on Thursday, April 26, family members said in a statement to WLWT.

Page Six reported that he had cancer and his condition worsened earlier this week.

“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,” Jene Galvin, a lifelong friend and spokesman for the family, told Page Six.

Springer is most known as the host of “The Jerry Springer Show,” which first aired on Cincinnati station WLWT in 1991. The show later became syndicated nationally and aired until 2018 after about 5,000 episodes.

The iconic chant “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!” became synonymous with his show as it grew in popularity.

“The Jerry Springer Show” rarely held back in its drama, often showing dramatic confrontations and dysfunctional relationships that grabbed audiences throughout the country.

At its peak, “The Jerry Springer Show” drew 12 million viewers — topping “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” Variety reported.

While some deemed the show as “trashy,” he often defended the series. Springer called the show “escapist entertainment,” according to the Associated Press.

“Know this,” he said during a 2015 episode of his show, USA Today reported, “there’s never been a moment in the 25 years of doing this show that I ever thought I was better than the people who appear on our stage. I’m not better. Only luckier.”

Springer also briefly hosted “American’s Got Talent” and later became the host of “Judge Jerry,” which was canceled after three seasons in 2022.

He was previously the mayor of Cincinnati and unsuccessfully ran for governor of Ohio in 1982.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.