Jerry Springer is best known for his eponymous talk show, but his broadcasting career began when he was still a college student.
Springer cut his teeth with a radio show while enrolled at Tulane University. He went on to become a political reporter and commentator on Cincinnati’s NBC affiliate, WLWT.
The journalist was also a politician and was elected to the Cincinnati City Council in 1971. He resigned in 1974 after he admitted to soliciting a sex worker. The scandal, however, did not mark the end of his political career.
Springer won back his council seat in 1975 after honestly addressing his past. He opened up about the controversy again in a television advertisement for his 1982 Ohio gubernatorial run.
Although he didn’t win the election, Springer went on to achieve massive success with his daytime talk show, which ran from 1991 to 2018. Originally created to mimic the format of The Phil Donahue Show, Jerry Springer was later revamped to feature everyday people dealing with controversial issues. Arguments between guests would often result in physical fights.
During a November 2022 appearance on David Yontef’s “Behind the Velvet Rope” podcast, Springer apologized for how the program affected the entertainment and societal landscape.
“I just apologize. I’m so sorry. What have I done? I’ve ruined the culture,” he said, before quipping, “I just hope hell isn’t that hot, because I burn real easy. I’m very light-complected.”
Springer died at age 79 in April 2023, more than four years after the talk show’s last episode aired. His death came after a struggle with a brief illness. The former Mayor is survived by his daughter, Katie Springer, whom he shared with wife Micki Velton, and his grandson, Richard.
Keep scrolling for a look at Springer’s life over the years:
