Jerry Springer was the king of the tabloid talk show - winning over the hearts of viewers around the world.
The American broadcaster, who has tragically passed away at the age of 79, actually started out in politics before entering the world of trashy TV.
And he was actually born Gerald Norman Springer in Highgate tube station in London, which was being used as a World War II shelter.
Springer was a political campaign adviser to Bobby Kennedy before his assassination, then moved into law before becoming the 56th Mayor of Cincinnati in 1977.
But he found worldwide fame as the host of the self-titled Jerry Springer show, which initially focused on political issues but struggled in the ratings.
Bosses decided it needed a drastic overhaul to include more controversial topics such as incest and adultery, swearing, nudity and fights in the studio.
The move was so popular that the likes of Jenny Jones, Maury Povich, Montel Williams, and Ricki Lake revamped their own shows in order to improve ratings
It was slammed by the critics, leading Jerry to introduce the programme as "worst TV show of all time" at the start of each episode.
But the show was a ratings hit, particularly in the late 90s, becoming the first talk show in years to beat The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Springer actually admitted he never watched his confessional talk show because he thought it was "silly".
"I would never watch my show. I'm not interested in it. It's not aimed towards me. This is just a silly show," he stated in 2008.
"My show is about outrageous behaviour so by definition everyone on the show has to be outrageous," he said.
"Most of them are not wealthy and they're not well educated, but I like them. I find them very refreshing. They don't put on airs."
After a staggering 27 seasons and nearly 5,000 episodes, Jerry Springer's show came to an end in July 2018.
Now only previously taped episode of the Jerry Springer Show continue to air - and Jerry had planned on retiring from the entertainment business.
But NBC executives wanted to keep him signed on and convinced him to take a chance on a slightly different type of programme.
Springer decided to preside over a courtroom in his new show, Judge Jerry, where he wore black robes to look at small claims court cases that had already been filed in jurisdictions across the United States.
This was to prevent litigants from purposely seeking out the show to earn 15 minutes of fame, which was a big problem during his former show.
He told the New York Post: "Honestly, at 75 I thought I’d be retiring. NBC had been talking to me for years about doing something else, and they thought the judge show was a natural fit because I started out as a lawyer and it’s a daytime audience — the same audience with me in a different role, but a role that I believe people can accept.
"Even though [the Jerry Springer show] was crazy I never got crazy — I'm always wearing a suit, I don't curse and I wasn't in fights throwing Jell-O. I
"I love doing [Judge Jerry] because it's the first grownup job I've had in 30 years. I have to do research and I have to remember what I learned in law school and practicing law. I really do my homework."
After three seasons and 366 episodes, Judge Jerry was cancelled due to a decreasing viewership in March 2022.
When the news was announced, Springer said he "wants to try out retirement while I'm still healthy."
"I'm 78 and have been in front of the camera now for 40 years, plus 10 years in politics. I'm winding down," he explained.
"Everybody calls me and says, 'Why don't you do this?' or 'Why don't you do this? (TV project).' But right now I'm just going to take a deep breath. And if something strikes my interest I might consider it.
"It's been a 50-year run of being such a public person. I'm looking forward to getting up in the morning and not have a busy day filled with television production and promotion."
He added: "I don't have to make a living. I want to enjoy life."
Jerry spent time living in Sarasota, Florida with daughter Katie and his grandchildren, but did pop up on season eight of The Masked Singer last year as 'Beetle.
In November last year, Jerry opened up on the impact his show had on society and shared his regret over the content.
Speaking on David Yontef's Behind the Velvet Rope podcast, Springer said: "I just apologise. I'm so sorry. What have I done? I've ruined the culture.
"I just hope hell isn't that hot because I burn real easy. I'm very light-complected, and that kind of worries me."
Sadly on April 27, a statement from his family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his home in Chicago on Thursday morning.
While his cause of death is yet to revealed, Jerry's family said he was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, with his health sadly taking a turn for the worse this week.
"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," family spokesman Jene Galvin said.
"He's irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humour will live on," Jene told TMZ.
