Jerry Springer hinted at his ailing health in his last-ever Australian TV interview before dying of pancreatic cancer at the age of 79 last Thursday.
Best known for hosting The Jerry Springer Show, the talk show king made a guest appearance on Channel Seven’s The Morning Show in February.
After a discussion about his latest projects, host Kylie Gillies casually asked Springer about his retirement plans.
Springer, who never spoke publicly about his terminal battle with cancer, hinted that his life would end before he had a chance to retire.
“I think maybe God (has plans for when I retire), so I hope he’s okay with me,” he said.
Jerry Springer hinted at his ailing health in his last-ever Australian TV interview before dying of pancreatic cancer at the age of 79 last Thursday. (Pictured on Channel Seven’s The Morning Show in February with co-hosts Larry Emdur, left, and Kylie Gillies, center)
“I thought when my judgment day comes, my closing argument (to God) when he is ready to decide where to send me (is)… “Oh, remember my last thought?” I hope my last thought is the one that can speak to (my) character.”
When asked what his last thought would be, Springer solemnly repeated the famous catchphrase he used to close episodes of The Jerry Springer Show: “Take care of yourself and each other.”
Co-host Larry Emdur lightened the mood by saying that this message was “not enough” to get Springer into heaven, causing the media personality to burst into laughter.
Speaking to Channel Seven’s The Morning Show in February, Springer hinted that his life would end before he had a chance to retire.
“I thought when my doomsday comes, my closing argument (to God) when he’s ready to decide where to send me (is)…” Oh, remember my last thought? I hope my last thought is the one that can speak to character,” he said
“No, the door won’t even open there!” Springer conceded in bewilderment.
Just two months after this exchange, Springer’s family announced that he had passed away “peacefully” at his Chicago home following a recent decline in his health.
Springer had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer months before he died.
Elsewhere in his interview with The Morning Show, Springer expressed his desire to produce a show in Australia inspired by his now-defunct TV show Judge Jerry – a courtroom reality show inspired by Judge Judy.
Springer also spoke extensively on The Jerry Springer Show, revealing that almost everything seen on screen was real. (Pictured: Jerry Spring hosts a 1998 episode titled “I am Pregnant by my Half-Brother”)
“I think I should do a jury show in Australia and just apply Australian law to it, so call me,” he mused, adding with a laugh, “How’s that for trying to get work?”
Springer also spoke extensively on The Jerry Springer Show, revealing that almost everything seen on screen was real.
“I would say it was 98% real. In fact, the lawyers were involved, so you would be sued if you made it up,” he explained.
Springer said his guests were completely sincere, but often behaved in an exaggerated way due to the rowdy atmosphere of the program.
“The situations were truthful. What was embellished… were the reactions. Because you made the crowd scream, “Jerry, Jerry!” he said.
“They had seen the show 100 times before. And so you could have had the same people on Oprah and they would have behaved perfectly. It’s just that when they came to our show, they kind of knew how to do it and they just acted that way,’ he shrugged.
The raucous talk show — which ran for nearly 4,000 episodes — began airing in September 1991 and peaked in the late ’90s.
The show was so popular that in 1998 Springer starred in a feature film called Ringmaster based on the shocking program.
Reflecting on his success, Springer said, “It was a crazy show. For 30 years and… it’s been fun. There was clearly an audience that enjoyed it.’
“(But) I never thought it had any redemptive social value. I mean, it wouldn’t hurt you, but it wouldn’t make you a better person either,’ he shrugged.
His audience would cheer his name, while his outrageous guests would get into frenzied fights – expletive-filled tirades squealing out
Springer noted that his show had one unintended redeeming quality: it highlighted members of American society previously ignored by mainstream American television.
“Until our show came along, American television was basically all upper-class white. And all of a sudden… you saw people who weren’t rich, who weren’t rich, who weren’t famous, they were ordinary people who had their own problems,” he said.
“And we saw a different side of America, which is a very real part, honestly, it’s a real part of every country and that was shocking,” added Springer.
The Jerry Springer was canceled in 2018 after no less than 27 seasons.
The Jerry Springer was canceled in 2018 after no less than 27 seasons
