Chicago, Illinois – Jerry Springer, the TV host who ingrained the chant "Jerry! Jerry!" into an entire generation, has passed away.

The groundbreaking pioneer of reality TV died at his home near Chicago on Thursday, according to TMZ. He was 79.

A spokesperson told the outlet Jerry was battling a "brief illness." Sources said he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

His publicist Linda Shafran later confirmed his death to NBC News.

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He produced the hit talk show The Jerry Springer Show for 27 years and hosted its over 5,000 episodes. It was said to be the first show of its kind, making an unforgettable mark on pop culture in the '90s and paving the way for the boom of reality TV to come.

The R-rated show was known for Jerry corralling feisty guests who surprised each other by revealing bombshell personal or family drama, often fist fighting, stripping down, or dropping expletives onstage while its studio audience shouted, "Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!"

It filmed its last episode in 2018, in which Jerry himself said he was shocked at the show's longevity. He teared up in his final speech, saying he's never thought he was better than any of his guests.

"I'm not better," he said. "Only lucky."

Jerry Springer, whose full name was Gerald Norman Springer, was born in a bomb shelter in London in 1944 to Jewish parents who had fled from Germany during the Holocaust. They moved to the US when Jerry was 5.

He was deeply involved in politics before his turn to television. He unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 1970 and was elected to city council in Cincinnati in 1971, but resigned over a prostitution scandal, according to NBC.

He later served in city council again in 1975, and as mayor of Cincinnati in 1977.

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He worked as a TV reporter and host for years afterward, and finally launched the controversial The Jerry Springer Show in 1991. It eventually became his claim to fame for its shock value and ratings gold.

"What I've learned over our quarter-century of shows is that deep down... we are all the same," Jerry said on his show's last episode. "We all want to be happy. We cry when we're hurt. We're angry when we've been mistreated. And to be liked, accepted, and respected – not to mention loved – is the greatest gift of all."