Kym Johnson, Jerry Springer's 'DWTS' partner, recalls teaching him to dance for his daughter's wedding

On season 3 of Dancing with the Stars, Kym Johnson felt the pressure of being Jerry Springer's partner, not only because she needed to teach the talk show host how to ballroom dance, but also because of what Springer hoped to accomplish with his newly acquired dance skills outside of the show.

"The reason he was doing Dancing with the Stars was to learn to dance for his daughter's wedding," Johnson, 46, says of Springer, who died Thursday at the age of 79 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.

"They wanted to do a father-daughter dance," she goes on to say. "He was so genuine in his reasons for wanting to do the show."

Johnson recalls joining DWTS as a pro for the first time in season three. She didn't expect to know her famous partner because she was from Australia.

"I'd just arrived in America, and I was nervous I wouldn't know who my celebrity was," she says. "When I first met him, he looked me in the eyes and said, 'I'm sorry.'" I knew him only from The Jerry Springer Show. We hit it off right away, and he quickly became a father figure to me."

Johnson watched Springer's dedication throughout the season. "He was really open to the experience," Hudson and Haven's mother recalls of their 5-year-old twins. "He was willing to do anything I asked of him."

Johnson was even able to fly to Chicago and attend a taping of his infamous talk show, which she describes as "a wild experience." Springer's recollections about his days in politics and as a news broadcaster were also entertaining to her.

"I remember going out to dinner with him and his old buddies that used to do the news with him in Cincinnati," Johnson says. "Their stories reminded me of the Anchorman movie." It's really nice to listen to them. He was intriguing to talk to on everything from being a news anchorman to being the mayor to being a politician to presenting The Jerry Springer Show."

Johnson worked with Springer on choreographing a dance for his now-47-year-old daughter Katie's wedding after having lunch with him in Chicago.

"I'll always remember that moment," Johnson adds. "He was a truly incredible family man." He adored both his wife, Micki, and their daughter, Katie."

Although Johnson did not witness the dance in person at her father's wedding in October 2006, she and Springer performed a waltz on DWTS in honour of Katie, who would occasionally stop by her father's rehearsals.

"At the end, he went and hugged her. "Their love for each other was so beautiful," Johnson remembers. "It was wonderful to be a part of that moment for him and Katie."

Though Johnson and Springer did not win the Mirrorball Trophy that year, which went to NFL player Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke, they finished fifth in the competition.

"He was surprised we kept getting through each week, because we definitely weren't the best dancers," Johnson says. "I believe America fell in love with him in a unique way." He just seemed to connect with everyone."

"Even on the streets, when we were travelling around, people would stop him all the time and start chanting his name," she recalls. "He'd stop, say hello, and take pictures with everyone." He had enough time for everyone. Jerry was cast in a new light for me. Every week, we had an incredible blast."

Johnson and Springer maintained in touch throughout the years, meeting for dinner if he visited Los Angeles or if they were in the same city. Although Springer was unable to attend Johnson's wedding to Shark Tank's Robert Herjavec in 2016, Johnson claims he took the couple out to dinner shortly before the big day.

"It was nice for him to meet Robert because he knew how highly I spoke of him," Johnson says.

Despite maintaining in touch, "I had no idea he was sick," Johnson says. "It had to have happened quickly." He was simply the best dude."

Rabbi Sandford Kopnick of The Valley Temple in Cincinnati, Springer's lifelong friend and religious leader, verified to PEOPLE on Thursday that his sickness was "sudden," as Johnson stated.

"He hasn't been sick in a long time," Rabbi Kopnick said of Springer, whom he just saw. "He died of cancer, and he didn't have it for very long."

Springer was most known for hosting the Jerry Springer Show for 27 seasons, starring in the reality series Judge Jerry for three seasons, and temporarily acting as a judge on America's Got Talent.