Inside Jerry Springer’s links to the UK from from growing up during WW2 to TV superstardom
JERRY Springer was a legend of American TV but in fact had humble beginnings in war-torn Britain.
Springer died at his home in Chicago aged 79 today, his family confirmed.
He became a TV icon for hosting the hit talk show The Jerry Springer Show, which ran for 27 years in the US and was syndicated world wide.
But despite being a US TV legend, Jerry’s roots can be traced back to the UK.
His parents Richard and Margot Springer, arrived in Britain from Germany in 1939, as the Nazis swept into power.
Incredibly he was born in Highgate Underground station as his pregnant mother took shelter there while German bombs rained down on London on February 13 1944 – the height of World War Two.
In 2012, Jerry was interviewed by the BBC about his childhood in London.
When asked about his birth, he said: “My birth was a little bit out of the ordinary because I was born at the Highgate Tube station.
“The reason my mum told me I was born at the subway station, is because this was during the war.
“During the war, women who were in their ninth month [of pregnancy] would often spend the night in the subway stations because those were the bomb shelters.”
The popular TV host grew up in Belvedere Court, which is a block of residential flats in East Finchley.
He has previously spoken about how he would look out his bedroom window and watch the double decker London buses drive past.
However, despite his love for the capital, Jerry only lived in London until he was five years old.
His parents emigrated to New York in 1949.
Jerry Springer died this morning, just months after he was diagnosed with cancer.
While a cause of death has not officially been released, TMZ reported that a family spokesperson told the outlet that the star had been diagnosed with cancer in recent months.
After receiving low ratings during its first season in 1991 due to its focus on political issues, The Jerry Springer show took a complete turn in the mid-1990s.
It later became highly popular for its topics on incest and adultery, featuring moments of profanity and guests participating in physical fights and nudity.