Born in a train station and a political scandal: Inside Jerry Springer's life.

After decades on our screens, US talk show host Jerry Springer has died aged 79.

Springer, who was best known, for his long-running talk show, The Jerry Springer Show, died peacefully at his home in suburban Chicago on Thursday following a brief illness, his family said in a statement.

His publicist, Linda Shafran, has since confirmed to People that Springer died of pancreatic cancer.

"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 family spokesman and friend of Springer's, said in a statement.

"He's irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely but memories of his intellect, heart and humour will live on."

In its 27 years on air, The Jerry Springer Show delivered countless on-air fights across almost 4,000 episodes.

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But there was much more to Jerry Springer’s life than televised food fights and violent hair-pulling.

Inside Jerry Springer’s life.

Gerald Norman ‘Jerry’ Springer was born in London, England, inside the Highgate tube station.

At the time, the underground train station was being used as a shelter from German attacks during World War II. Springer’s German-Jewish parents, Margot and Richard Springer, had fled to London in 1939.

In his early years, Springer was brought up in East Finchley, before the family immigrated to the Queens, New York in 1949.

After graduating from Tulane University with a political science degree and a law degree from the Northwestern University School of Law, Springer went on to start his career at a law firm.

Not long after, Springer was approached to begin working on the presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy.

That same year, Kennedy was assassinated. His death had a profound effect on the talk show host.

According to NBC, "That moment in history compelled him to the political action he has never abandoned."

Just a few years later, Springer embarked on his own political career – serving on Cincinnati's city council in Ohio.

In 1974, however, Springer was embroiled in a sex scandal.

At the time, Springer was exposed in a controversy involving prostitution after a raid on a brothel uncovered a cheque Springer had written for prostitute services.

In a press conference, Springer completely admitted to the dealing and resigned from his role on the council.

Just one year later, he was reelected to his seat before he was later elected Mayor of Cincinnati from 1977 to 1978 as a Democrat.

Following his time as mayor, Springer made a bid for the Democratic nomination for governor of Ohio. After he failed to make the cut, he turned to television journalism in the 1980s, where he worked as a reporter and later as an anchor.

The Jerry Springer Show.

In 1991, Springer made his debut on his talk show, The Jerry Springer Show.

Although the show initially centred on political issues, it underwent a complete overhaul, becoming the controversial show it is today.

Over the years, the show was often condemned for its controversial topics but despite criticism, it continued to prove popular with viewers.

In 2003, the show even inspired a British musical based on the talk show.

In the past, Springer has vehemently defended the show – despite thinking that the show itself is "stupid".

"The Establishment say 'get rid of these people' and call them trash. And yet wealthy people live exactly the same lives – only they have more money and speak the Queen's English," he told The Independent.

"We're all alike – it's just that some people dress better. Some people just like to assume that they're better than everyone else, so they dismiss the guests on my show. But we can't buy books and magazines fast enough to read about it when the rich and famous do exactly the same things.

"It's a stupid show and I've never said anything else. But there's something in me that enjoys defending it against the elite who get so bent out of shape about it. It's funny watching them huffing and puffing when, in reality, they behave in exactly the same way as the people on the show."

In 2019, Springer was forced to respond to claims that his show is to blame after two former guests – one in 2000, and one last year – died following their appearances on the TV show.

Speaking at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, Springer argued that the show had no influence on either death, comparing it to "suing Walmart because you had an argument with someone in their shop".

"In both those cases, let’s be clear – it was several weeks or months later," he added.

Inside Jerry Springer's relationships.

Springer, who always remained fiercely private about his personal life, was married to television presenter Micki Velton in 1973.

Three years later, in 1976, the couple welcomed their daughter Katie Springer, who was born blind and deaf in one ear.

Katie shared that her parents have always unconditionally supported her.

"I've heard this story that when I was first born and they heard about all these problems, they just said, 'We're never going to treat her different, we're going to make sure she knows she's not different,'" she said.

In 1994, Springer and Velton divorced. It's unknown whether they remained in contact. 

For more on this topic:

• Blake was dumped by his fiancée on The Jerry Springer Show. A month later, he was dead.

This article was originally published on August 27, 2019, and was updated on April 28, 2023.

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