Jerry Springer shared a touching message during his final TV appearance on The Masked Singer.
On April 27, it was announced that the iconic presenter - whose full name is Gerald Norman Springer - passed away "peacefully" at his home in Chicago.
Springer was best known for his controversial TV talk show: The Jerry Springer Show, which first aired in 1991 and lasted for nearly three decades.
Prior to his death, the presenter took part in season eight of FOX's The Masked Singer back in 2022. The game show is a secret singing competition in which celebrities face off against each other by concealing their identities in elaborate costumes with full face masks.
Check out Springer's final TV appearance below:Springer donned a beetle costume for his appearance in October 2022. After his identity was revealed, the studio audience along with judges and host Nick Cannon began shouting "Jerry" - which is a well-known chant from his raucous show.
After everyone sang his praises, the beloved TV host said: "When I sing, people get involved because they have to guess where the notes were supposed to have been. It's like interactive."
The Emmy-winning news anchor had a separate interview with TV Insider and candidly opened up about why he decided to do the program, saying: "I’m semi-retired now, so normally, when I get asked to do things now I do them either [because] it's important, like if it’s political, or it’s fun if it’s show business. And this goes into the category, it’s just fun to do."
He then heartwarmingly revealed that his grandson "would really get a kick out of it," from participating, adding: "That’s really the reason I had time to do it, and it’s just a fun thing to do."
Springer shared that singing in front of a crowd with an intricate costume on was tough: "Seeing was the most difficult part. Not just because the sweat in my eyes, but the eyes in the head didn’t remain where my eyes are, and so I couldn’t see and I don’t know where I’m walking on the stage."
The influential presenter was born in the London Underground station of Highgate in 1944 to Jewish refugees from a region of Germany which is now part of Poland. He lived in Finchley with his parents before moving to the US at the age of four.
Before his broadcasting career as a political reporter and commentator, he was the mayor of Cincinnati and a political campaign adviser to Robert F Kennedy's presidential campaign.
Springer's death was announced by his publicists. His friend and family spokesman, Jene Galvin, shared an emotional statement describing him as "irreplaceable," as cited by BBC.
"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," he said. "He's irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart, and humor will live on."
Our thoughts are with Springer's family, friends, and fans at this time.
