Jerry Springer, sensationalist US talk show host, dead at 79

Raucous TV show known for its lewd content and guests' violent outbursts

Jerry Springer hosting his show in 1998. Getty

Jerry Springer, the television host who redefined American talk shows, has died aged 79, his family said on Thursday.

The Jerry Springer Show featured violent outbursts, shocking family secrets and adult content.

There was seldom a dull moment on the show, known for its flamboyant guests who were prone to shocking confessions and onstage fistfights, which would lead the audience to chant, “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!”

The show was a smash hit in the 1990s and remained popular until it ended in 2018.

The most notorious guests included a man who wanted to marry his farm animals, an adult who lived life as a baby, a woman who cut off her own legs, and a self-described “mole person” who lived in a series of tunnels beneath the New York train system.

Springer would end each show with a “final thought”, in which he would reflect on the themes addressed in the show, which ranged from infidelity to family issues to strange obsessions. He would then tell viewers: “Till next time, take care of yourselves and each other.”

Born in London in 1944, he was the son of German-Jewish refugees who had fled to the UK. The family eventually moved to New York.

After earning a law degree, he became involved in politics and was a campaign adviser to Robert F Kennedy before making an unsuccessful run for Congress in 1970. He began serving on the Cincinnati Council in Ohio the following year and was eventually elected mayor in 1977.

He ultimately left the political candidate track after an unsuccessful run for governor of Ohio and became a news anchor and commentator at WLWT in Cincinnati before taking on a new role as a talk show host.

Originally, The Jerry Springer Show focused on political issues, but due to low ratings, the guests soon became less political and more outrageous.

In addition to his talk show, he appeared on a number of television shows, including The Masked Singer, Married...With Children, Dancing with the Stars and 8 out of 10 Cats.

Following the end of The Jerry Springer Show, he hosted courtroom show Judge Jerry, which ran for three seasons until it was cancelled in 2022.

A family spokesman said Springer had died peacefully at home in Chicago after a battle with cancer.