Popular daytime courtroom show Judge Judy is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary since its debut on 16 September 1996, with season 20 having recently premiered.
 
This has left its presiding star Judith Sheindlin (USA) – AKA Judge Judy – with an exciting new Guinness World Records title for having the Longest career as a TV judge.
 
She retired from Manhattan family court in 1996 and has been on the show for a remarkable 18 years, 11 months and 2 days.
 
However, she remains a qualified affiliated legal judge who adjudicates real-life small claims disputes on the television programme.
 
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The tough, brutally honest and respected judge tells Entertainment Tonight: “When I started I thought if I didn’t embarrass myself and I had three seasons it would be okay.”
 
But since Judy began her work in the TV courtroom, she has settled more than 9,000 cases over 20 seasons and 4,500 episodes – and counting.
 
She says that her Guinness World Records title is “a really lovely, sweet honour”.