'DWTS' Kym Johnson Remembers 'Father Figure' Jerry Springer

Kym Johnson had sweet memories of her late Dancing with the Stars partner, Jerry Springer.

In a chat with People, Johnson, 46, shared the wholesome reason why Springer decided to be on the dancing competition during its season three run in 2006.

"The reason he was doing Dancing with the Stars was to learn to dance for his daughter's wedding," said Johnson. "They wanted to do a father-daughter dance. He was so genuine in the reason why he wanted to do the show."

She also spoke about the first time she met Springer. The Australian dancer wasn't expecting to be paired with a celebrity she was familiar with. "I'd just arrived in America and I was nervous I wouldn't know who my celebrity was," Johnson recalled. "When I first met him, he looked at me and he said, 'I'm sorry.' I only knew him from The Jerry Springer Show."

Johnson added, "We instantly connected, and he became like a father figure to me."

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The DWTS alum said she had the chance to head to Chicago for a taping of The Jerry Springer Show, which she said was a "wild experience." She was also amused by the late TV host's stories about his news anchor days before getting his own show.

"I remember going out to dinner with him and his old buddies that used to do the news with him in Cincinnati. The stories they had, it reminded me of the Anchorman movie," she recalled. "It's just so sweet listening to them. From being the news anchorman to the mayor to a politician to hosting The Jerry Springer Show, he was fascinating to talk to."

Springer died on April 27 of pancreatic cancer at 79 years old. Before hosting The Jerry Springer Show, the TV personality was the Mayor of Cincinnati from 1977 to 1978 and later became a news anchor for NBC affiliate WLWT.

Next: Steve Wilkos Details Final Visit With Late Mentor Jerry Springer