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Jerry Springer said he believes he “has ruined the culture” thanks to his controversial talk show.
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“Jerry Springer” aired nearly 5,000 episodes between 1991 and 2018.
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“I just hope hell isn’t so hot because I burn very easily,” he said on “Behind the Velvet Rope.”
Four years after his controversial tabloid talk show ended the run of 27 seasons, Jerry Springer reflects on the legacy he left in the world.
On Tuesday’s episode of David Yontef’s podcast “Behind the Velvet Rope,” the 78-year-old politician-turned-TV presenter was asked if he considers himself the “grandfather of reality TV” thanks to his talk show of the same name, which runs nearly 5,000 episodes. has broadcast. between 1991 and its cancellation in 2018.
Springer wouldn’t accept the title and instead replied, “No, I apologize. I’m so sorry. What have I done? I’ve ruined the culture.”
He then joked, “I just hope hell isn’t so hot, because I burn very easily. I’m very slightly complicated and that worries me.”
Springer added that he considers himself “just a schlub who got lucky”, and that making a name for himself in show business “was never a thought on my mind”.
The show, which featured guests broadcasting their personal issues to a live studio audience, still has people talking to this day, thanks to reruns aired around the world.
Some of the most memorable and outrageous episodes include a man who lived in marital bliss with his horse, a woman who had sex with 251 men in 10 hours to break the world’s sex record, and a mother and daughter who teamed up to create dominatrixes. to be. together.
Of course, over the years there have been numerous paternity tests, accusations of adultery and altercations among the guests, who were only too happy to send chairs into the air in the name of entertainment.
Prior to the talk show, which made him a household name, Springer served as mayor of Cincinnati from 1977 to 1978. He explained how he made the transition from politics to television and told Yontef on the podcast that it was “pure luck.”
The British-born star explained: “After being mayor, I was offered the job of anchoring the news for the NBC affiliate in Cincinnati. I did that for 10 years.”
“And that was kind of a rational transition and how the show happened was pure luck,” Springer continued.
“The company that owned the station where I did the news owned talk shows. They owned Phil Donahue, Sally Jesse Raphael. Well, Phil retired. So one day the CEO took me to lunch and said, Phil is retiring, we’re starting a new talk show. You’re the host.”
“So I was assigned as an employee, and then all of a sudden the show took off. So I got into show business without even thinking about it,” Springer said, noting that he doesn’t believe he did. “a certain show business talent.”
Read the original article on Insider
