American talk show host Jerry Springer has died. He died at the age of 79, as his spokeswoman Linda Shafran confirmed to the German Press Agency on Thursday. Local TV station WLWT5 quoted a statement from the family. Accordingly, the former mayor of the city of Cincinnati died peacefully on Thursday in his home near the metropolis of Chicago. The celebrity portal TMZ wrote that Springer had died after a "short illness", citing a spokesman for Springer's family. The presenter with german-Jewish roots is said to have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few months ago.
Springer had hosted his famous show for a full 1991 years from 2018 until it was discontinued in 27. The episodes were mainly about family and marital quarrels, infidelity and insults. Springer's conflicts were always carefully fueled until, after many curses and vulgarities, the opponents often physically attacked each other and were separated by security personnel.
The talk show reached record ratings in the USA at the end of the 90s and at times had more viewers than the legendary talk show "Oprah" by Oprah Winfrey. Some episodes became cult, such as an episode in which prostitutes got into a fight with their pimps. The show became part of English-language popular culture and was honored with the musical "Jerry Springer: The Opera".
Springer became known in Germany more than 20 years ago after a German living in Florida murdered his ex-wife after a joint appearance on the Springer show. A few hours after the broadcast of the program in July 2000, the woman's body was found.