First of all, R.I.P. Jerry Springer. For people of a certain age, there was no show more irreverent and off the walls than The Jerry Springer Show. Since his untimely death, his name has been trending on Twitter alongside another famous TV personality: Bob Barker, host of The Price is Right. Don’t worry, 99-year-old Barker is still alive, but one time, Springer hosted his show (well, the stage show). Let’s dive into some history.
Way back in the prehistoric era of 2012, Springer hosted The Price is Right Live, a stage show of the popular program, in Las Vegas. At this point, he’d been hosting The Jerry Springer Show for 21 seasons, and he was capitalizing on the show’s stunning popularity by appearing in Sin City.
“I had so much fun hosting the show last year, and look forward to once again inviting excited guests to ‘come on down’ and play for money and prizes!” Springer said in a statement at the time.
Perhaps there’s no one more perfect to reign over the cheery madness of The Price is Right than Springer, but unfortunately, he stuck to the stage show, while Drew Carey hosted the TV show. He hosted again in 2018. The stage show was just as hectic and exciting as the TV show and featured Springer and his everyman energy at his best.
It just goes to show that Springer was much more than just the guy who let people fight on his show. He was a warm entertainer who was loved by millions for his easy approachability. Springer, you will be missed. Barker, keep on trucking — we’ll see you at 100!