Legendary Talk Show Host Jerry Springer Dead at 79

The broadcasting world has lost a prominent figure.

Jerry Springer, who hosted The Jerry Springer Show for 27 years, died peacefully at his home in suburban Chicago on April 27 after a brief illness, his family confirmed. He was 79.

“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 friend and rep for Springer’s family, said in a statement obtained by E! News. “He’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humor will live on.”

Prior to The Jerry Springer Show—which ran from 1991 to 2018—Springer was actually the mayor of Cincinnati from 1977 and 1978. He then switched up his career, working for WLWT as an anchor, a role that he’d never imagined for himself growing up.