Jerry Springer made a joke about dying just months before his tragic death - and apologised for his show.
The undisputed king of the tabloid talk show, Jerry completely transformed the TV genre and found worldwide fame.
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.
Springer was 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 bold 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
The new format was slammed by the critics, leading Jerry to jokingly introduce the programme as "worst TV show of all time" at the start of each episode.
But the show proved to be a ratings hit, particularly in the late 90s, even becoming the first talk show in years to beat The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Jerry 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 explained 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."
Jerry Springer's show came to an end in July 2018 after a whopping 27 seasons and nearly 5,000 episodes
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 apologised for what he had done on his show.
When asked if he considers himself the "granddad of reality TV", he joked: "No, I just apologise. I’m so sorry. What have I done? I’ve ruined the culture."
He jokingly added: "I just hope hell isn't that hot because I burn real easy. I'm very light-complected, and that kind of worries me."
Laughing, he also said: "I'm just a schlub who got lucky," and that show business was "never a thought in my mind".
Sadly it was announced today that Jerry has died, with a statement from his family confirming that he passed away peacefully at his home in Chicago.
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.
