Jerry Springer, former mayor of Cincinnati and the host of the pop-culture changing Jerry Springer show that ran for 27 years and thousands of episodes, has passed away at the age of 79.
Born in the London Underground during World War II, Springer entered politics at an early age – becoming inspired by luminaries like Robert F. Kennedy. Eventually becoming the Mayor Of Cincinnati, Springer started the eponymous talk show in 1991. Initially, the ratings from the show (which began as a politically-oriented talk show) were slow to climb. Upon its 1991 debut on television, the Jerry Springer show wasn’t an instant success. However, in 1994 it then morphed into tabloid-esque sensationalism, with ratings skyrocketing to the point where it was arguably the USA’s biggest daytime talk show.
The show, which ran for 27 years between 1991-2018, made Springer a star. In 2000, he signed a 5 year, $30 million contract for the show, making him one of TV’s highest-paid hosts. While the show (and Springer himself) faced criticism from conservative groups for fighting, subject matter (there was an episode where a person apparently married a horse, what an era), and a generally wrestling-esque atmosphere, there was no doubt that its ratings were massive and changed pop culture forever.
In addition to his TV stardom, Springer was a lawyer, a journalist, a radio broadcaster, and a host of other roles that helped prepare him for eventually hosting his TV roles. Undoubtedly, despite the controversies his own show had, there’s no doubt that Jerry Springer will always be synonymous with the TV show that bore his name.
