Talk show host Jerry Springer dies at 79

Jerry Springer

What do you get when you cross billionaire, TV personality, and philanderer Jerry Springer with the United Kingdom's favourite sandwich? The perfect recipe for a scandalous courtship that gripped the entire city of London in 2016. The year had started with the extravagant bachelor party for Springer, a guest list of A-listers and a military band. It was a lavish event that was topped off by the guest of honour making an emotional plea for unity and tolerance before delving into his suit-case of gifts, including an ornamental dagger. It was a strange start to the year.

But it wasn't long before Springer's antics drew the ire of the British public. In February, he was accused of racial discrimination after he invited only white people to a dinner party in his honour. In April, it was alleged that he groped a member of the public on an Aeroplane. And in June, he sparked a national debate when he appeared to suggest that disabled people should be killed. Amidst all this controversy, Springer held a press conference in July to deny the allegations against him, insisting that his "passion for justice" would remain intact. In September, the billionaire was again in the news after being photographed wearing a T-shirt depicting a gun with the word ‘Bang' on it. He later released a statement saying that he supports the right of individuals to bear arms, and that the gun was a “symbol of freedom and independence”.

Now, as we roll into the new year, it's time for Springer to make some more headlines. Over the past year, he's become somewhat of a polarising figurehead due to his outspoken nature. He's inspired hatred from the right and fury from the left. What is he doing now? Is he really as bad as everyone says he is? Let's take a quick trip back in time to find out.

A Brief History Of The World's Most Controversial TV Host

The most controversial figure in UK history might not be Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin, but rather the colourful and outrageous Jerry Springer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1949, Jerry Springer came from a family of Jewish producers. He grew up in South Orange, New Jersey, and attended Syracuse University, where he studied communications. While at Syracuse, he began hosting a TV show about university life. It was here that he honed his interviewing and showmanship, as well as built up a strong social media following. After graduating from Syracuse, Springer moved to London, where he hosted a number of talk shows, including The Jerry Springer Show and The Jenny Saunders Show. He also began to dabble in music, putting out six albums between 1976 and 1997. He was married to Elizabeth Taylor from 1980 to 1984, briefly partnering with the legendary designer in the early 1990s. Elizabeth Taylor was the first celebrity Springer allegedly groped, alleging that the TV host pressed his erect penis against her backside as she stood beside him at a party in 2009.

The Making Of A Scandalous Courtship

It was 2009 and Springer was on a yacht off the coast of Greece when he received the fateful phone call that would change his life forever. The billionaire had a reputation for womanising and was in the midst of a nasty divorce from his second wife, Kathleen. His son, Jonathan, was travelling with him on the boat and took the call. According to Jonathan, the older man jumped out of his skin at the sound of the ringing phone. “I've got bad news,” Jonathan recalled his father saying. “Your mother has killed herself.”

Kathleen had committed suicide in 2007, after she found out that her husband was having an affair with former Playboy model Donna Jordan. The story made headlines around the world, spiking divorce rates and reigniting the ‘batchelordom’ trend. Now, five years later, Springer is seeing his personal life featured on TV shows across the globe. The Jerry Springer Show is currently airing its 24th season in the United States, while the English-speaking world has been captivated by his antics since 2016, when he became engaged to actress and fashion model Cara Delevigne. Their wedding was broadcast live on CBS News in the United States in May 2019.

The Allegations Against Jerry Springer

Since 2009, Springer has faced a string of allegations, the vast majority of which have involved some kind of abuse or harassment of women. Here is a short list of the most damaging accusations, with the date and the alleged victim/s: