Storied talk show host Jerry Springer has passed away aged 79.
Springer’s parents were German-Jewish refugees who escaped Nazi persecution. Springer was born in Highgate, London. When he was four years old, Springer moved with his family to New York. He earned a bachelor of Arts from Tulane University in 1965, majoring in political science.
He worked as a political campaign adviser to Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 and, following Kennedy’s assassination, he worked as a lawyer. An unsuccessful run for Congress followed, though he was elected to the Cincinnati City Council in 1971. He later served a one-year term as mayor in 1977.
However, he will be most remembered for his Jerry Springer talk show which launched in 1991. It started out as a politically oriented show with Oliver North and Jesse Jackson appearing. In 1994, however, Springer and his new producer revamped the show chasing higher ratings. It ran for 27 seasons with the final episode airing on 26 July 2018.
Here are B&T‘s best (read: worst) moments from the show.
I have a secret to tell him
In which Brad meets a very beautiful woman he met on MySpace. However, she has a secret to tell Brad.
Willie’s Bad Decisions
Willie recounts to Jerry an unfortunate encounter with his best friend Austin. According to Willie, he got a little more than he bargained for with Austin.
Viewers Punch On With White Supremacists
Alex and Erica were shocked by white supremacists Robert and Justin’s appearance on the show, which often courted controversy. The racists get their asses handed to them.
The Course of True Love Never Runs Smooth
18-year-old Perry was madly in love with his girlfriend Miranda and proposed to her on the show. However, Miranda did not think to tell Perry that she was fed up with his gamer antics. She also didn’t tell him that she had another man in her life. Guess who appears from side of stage…
Backing It Up
Ken appears on the show to leave the mother of his child for another woman with a larger posterior. Modern lover Ken proposes a simple solution, why don’t they all be together?
Admitting To Grooming A Teenager
James might have been one of the worst people on the internet. In the space of two minutes, he admits to grooming his girlfriend and getting her pregnant to keep scrounging off her mother.
Springer is survived by his divorced wife Micki Velton and one child.
Lead image credit: Justin Hoch
