Iconic TV Show Host Jerry Springer Passes Away At 79

TMZ reports that iconic TV show host Jerry Springer has passed away at the age of 79. A spokesperson for the family noted that Springer was battling ‘a mild illness’ before his passing. According to TMZ, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer several months ao. It got worse within the last week and he died in his Chicago-area home this morning.

Springer was infamous for his controversial Jerry Springer Show, one of the more extreme tabloid talk shows of the 90s. That show ran from 1991 to 2018. While there were other shows of its type (such as Donahue or Geraldo), Springer’s show was the most popular and arguably the most controversial. In 1998, when it was at its peak, it actually brought in 12 million viewers in syndication, beating Oprah Winfrey.

Before that, he was actually a politician, running a failed campaign for Congress in 1970. He was elected to the Cincinnati City Council in 1971, then became mayor of the city in 1977, serving one term.

After the move to entertainment, he made various appearances on a variety of shows and movies, including WWE RAW, Married with Children, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Dancing With the Stars. His most recent appearances were another show called Judge Jerry (which ran for three years) and a guest spot on The Masked Singer. He even had a movie loosely based on his life, called Ringmaster.

411 would like to give our condolences to his family, friends and fans.