Maury Povich on the Legacy of His 'Friendly Rival' Jerry Springer: 'He Didn't Change TV, He Radicalized It'
Springer's fellow daytime titan tells PEOPLE: "He always had a smile on his face. I never saw him unhappy. And that's the way I'll remember him"
Maury Povich is reflecting on the career and legacy of Jerry Springer, who died of pancreatic cancer at age 79 on Thursday.
Povich, 84, shared exclusively with PEOPLE that he was "absolutely shocked" upon hearing the news of Springer's death and shared that their friendship began as "friendly rivals" on daytime television.
"We were all rivals, but at the same time, Jerry and I, because for the last 20-odd years, we both worked for the same company, we had the same bosses," he explained. "We also taped in the same studio for the last 10 or 12 years. So we would see each other, and we would reminisce."
Povich said Springer's staff "loved working for him."
"They love Jerry and he was a joy to be with," Povich said. "He was very funny. He always loved to tell jokes. And some of the jokes were terribly stale."
Related:Jerry Springer's Cause of Death Confirmed as Pancreatic Cancer: 'His Illness Was Sudden'
While Povich said he will remember the former Cincinnati mayor for always having a "smile on his face," he will also think back fondly on how Springer would explain the difference between their two talk shows.
"People always ask, you know, you and Jerry are the same kind of show," Povich said. "Jerry used to say to me, he says 'Here's the thing, Maury. You're the real deal. And I'm just the deal.' I said, 'Jerry, I might be the real deal but you're your deal, okay?' And he always said, he said, 'You got it right,' when some of the media asked me one time the difference between you and Jerry. I said, 'Well, I do real people's stories and he, he's doing WWE.' And he says, 'You're right! It's wrestling on my show.'"
He added: "Jerry didn't change TV, he radicalized it."
RELATED VIDEO: Jerry Springer, Talk Show Icon and Former Cincinnati Mayor, Dead at 79
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Springer was best known for hosting 27 seasons of his syndicated talk show, the Jerry Springer Show, for headlining the reality series Judge Jerry for three seasons, and for briefly serving as a judge on America's Got Talent.
After his death, Springer's longtime friend and religious leader, Rabbi Sandford Kopnick of The Valley Temple in Cincinnati, told PEOPLE that his "illness was sudden."
"He hasn't been sick for a long time," Rabbi Kopnick shared of Springer, whom he visited just last week. "He died of cancer, and he didn't have cancer for very long."
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