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Jerry Springer’s known for hosting The Jerry Springer Show for years. The daytime talk TV series had some wild, memorable guests that fans will never forget. But many loyal viewers wonder how authentic the show really was. So, was The Jerry Springer Show fake? Here’s what to know.

Was ‘The Jerry Springer Show’ real or fake? Jerry Springer said the show was ‘98% real’

Jerry Springer standing in the audience and talking on 'The Jerry Springer Show'
‘The Jerry Springer Show’ | Ralf-Finn Hestoft/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

The Jerry Springer Show had wild and crazy moments that fans will never forget. And Jerry Springer made a fantastic host with his political background. So, was The Jerry Springer Show fake? While the show didn’t feel real on numerous occasions, Springer says the show was “98% real.”

Springer spoke on The Morning Show about the authenticity of the series. “I’d say it was 98% real,” he said. “In fact, the lawyers were involved. You’d get sued if you made it up. Now, if you’re asking me, was there ever a time when someone fooled us and to this day we don’t know that they made it up, but before you get on the show, you sit in a room with the cameras rolling and the lawyers and you are liable for making up a story.”

Springer then added that the “situations were truthful” all around, but the “reactions” were embellished because the audience knew what to expect. “You had the audience screaming, ‘Jerry! Jerry!’ They’ve seen the show 100 times before. … They kind of just behaved like that.”

Guests aren’t paid to be on the show

There are certainly some guests who lied to get on to The Jerry Springer Show, and some scenarios made the show feel fake. But there wasn’t much money in appearing on the series.

According to The Cinemaholic, guests on the show weren’t paid to appear. People on the show received a small stipend for travel and accommodations, but they otherwise weren’t given any money to share their stories.

Additionally, because the series ended in 2018, the world of online influencing wasn’t huge. Today, many people appearing on talk shows and reality TV shows hope to attain an audience via social media where they can then make a living with sponsored content. But this likely wasn’t motivation for guests appearing on The Jerry Springer Show.

Was ‘The Jerry Springer Show’ canceled?

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The Jerry Springer Show ran from 1991 to 2018 and aired over 4,000 episodes before facing cancelation. It seems low viewership was the reason.

During the show’s prime, it topped Oprah’s ratings. The Guardian reminds fans of various episode titles that grabbed the viewer’s attention, like “I Slept with 251 Men in 10 Hours!” and “I’m a Breeder for the Klan.” In 2000, Springer signed a new $30 million contract despite the show’s grimy reputation.

Springer later said he “ruined the culture” of reality TV with The Jerry Springer Show as the trailblazer. “No, I just apologize. I’m so sorry. What have I done? I’ve ruined the culture,” he said, according to the New York Post. “I just hope hell isn’t that hot because I burn real easy. I’m very light-complected, and that kind of worries me.”

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