Jerry Springer: influential talk show host and one-time US mayor dies after 'brief illness', age 79

A family spokesperson says he died Thursday morning, peacefully at his home in the Chicago area
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Long-time talk show host Jerry Springer has died age 79, after a brief illness.

Springer hosted the popular and often controversial The Jerry Springer Show for 27 years, known for showcasing dysfunctional families, with its often outrageous guests frequently breaking into fights. He also briefly hosted America's Got Talent and courtroom show Judge Jerry, as well as debuting the Jerry Springer Podcast in 2015, which ran until December last year.

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Family spokesman Jene Galvin said Springer had been battling a "brief illness". TMZ reported sources had told them it was cancer, and the entertainer had been diagnosed a few months ago - before this week taking a turn for the worse.

Mr Galvin said he died Thursday morning, peacefully at his home in the Chicago area. "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."

Jerry Springer celebrating the taping of “The Jerry Springer Show” 20th anniversary show at Military Island, Times Square on October 11, 2010 in New York City. Credit:  Michael Loccisano/Getty Images.Jerry Springer celebrating the taping of “The Jerry Springer Show” 20th anniversary show at Military Island, Times Square on October 11, 2010 in New York City. Credit:  Michael Loccisano/Getty Images.
Jerry Springer celebrating the taping of “The Jerry Springer Show” 20th anniversary show at Military Island, Times Square on October 11, 2010 in New York City. Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images.

"He’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humour will live on," he added. His agent said there were plans for a funeral and a memorial.

The family asked that in lieu of flowers, people should make a donation or an act of kindness to someone in need or a worthy advocacy organisation in tribute to Springer signing off his talk shows with the phrase: “Take care of yourself, and each other.”

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Before Springer’s broadcasting career, which included stints as a political reporter and commentator, he was the mayor of Cincinnati, in the US state of Ohio, and a political campaign adviser to Robert F. Kennedy.

Springer was born in a London underground railway station on February 13 1944, while it was being used as a bomb shelter. His family – who had fled from Germany to England during the Holocaust – later settled in the Queens borough of New York City.

He also had various unsuccessfully runs for various political office including Congress in 1970, and ran adverts to campaign to become governor of Ohio in the 1980s, before he became a local television politics reporter.

Springer began his talk show in 1991 with a more traditional format, before the series became known for its chair-throwing and bleep-filled arguments - which later reportedly inspired the UK's Jeremy Kyle Show.

On his Twitter profile, Springer described himself as “talk show host, ringmaster of civilisation’s end”.

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