Steve Wilkos

Steve Wilkos

Wilkos at the 2012 New York Comic Con.
Born Steven John Wilkos
(1964-03-09) March 9, 1964
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Residence Fairfield County, Connecticut
Occupation Television host, talk show host, U.S. Marine, former police officer, patrolman, director of security
Years active 1982–1989 (Marine)
1990–2001 (Police officer)
1994–2007 (Director of Security)
2007–present (Television host)
Known for The Jerry Springer Show and The Steve Wilkos Show
Spouse(s) Rachelle Wilkos (m. 2000)
Children 2
Website www.stevewilkos.com

Steven John "Steve" Wilkos (/ˈwɪlkoʊs/; born March 9, 1964) is an American television personality, a veteran of the U.S. Marines and a former Chicago police officer.[1] He has been hosting The Steve Wilkos Show since 2007, and was director of security on The Jerry Springer Show from 1994 to 2007. He had previously substituted for Springer as host on several occasions before being given his own talk show.

Early life and education

Wilkos in the 1980s.
Wilkos in the 1980s.

Wilkos was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Jeanette (née Pelikan), a beauty school instructor, and Stanley Wilkos, a former police officer.[2][3] He has a brother and two sisters, the third of four children. Wilkos graduated from Lane Technical High School in 1982, then joined the United States Marine Corps, serving from 1982 to 1989 before joining the Chicago Police Department in 1990,[1] where he was stationed in the Logan Square, Chicago neighborhood. He married his wife Rachelle Consiglio, the former executive producer for Springer as well as his own show, in 2000. They have two children.[2][4][5] They live in Fairfield County, Connecticut.[6]

Career

The Jerry Springer Show

In May 1994, the producers of The Jerry Springer Show, taped in Chicago at that time, needed security guards, so they decided to hire Wilkos and other off-duty police officers to work part-time for the show.[7] Wilkos recruited several fellow officers for the job,[1] and he retired from the force and worked exclusively for the show beginning in 2001.

Entertainment Weekly reported that Wilkos became a professional wrestler with the Maryland Championship Wrestling during a temporary production hiatus of Springer.[8][9] In 2005, Wilkos appeared as a guest on Check, Please!, a restaurant-reviewing program on Chicago's PBS station, WTTW.[10] In 2006, after Springer began what would be a seven-episode stint on Dancing with the Stars, Wilkos filled in for him in the meantime and Springer later recruited Wilkos to substitute for him each Monday, calling him "the obvious choice."[11]

Beyond Springer, he has made cameo appearances on the MLB Network. He's also appeared on TV series Between Brothers, The Wayans Bros. and The Simpsons, and in the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me as a security guard for Jerry Springer.[12]

The Steve Wilkos Show

Wilkos before a show-taping in 2011.

In January 2007, NBC Universal Television officially announced that Wilkos would host a talk show of his own based at NBC Tower in Chicago. The self-titled program premiered on September 10, 2007 and received high ratings.[13] Steve is known for his abrasive approach to solving disputes.

Wilkos expressed disapproval with the first season of the talk show, as he reflected: "All I did was yell at everybody and throw people off the stage. There was no level of emotion -- just hardcore yelling." Wilkos said this was how he was produced by his original executive producer, but that his wife encouraged him to be himself and go with his "gut."[14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Weller, Sam (1998-01-12). "Talk Toughs". Weekly Wire. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  2. 1 2 Lipton, Michael A. (May 4, 1998). "Brawlbuster". People. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  3. ↑ Legacy.com
  4. ↑ Nunn, Emily (August 12, 2005). "The zookeeper". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  5. ↑ Rubino, Lindsay (March 19, 2012). "Ringmaster Balances 'Springer,' 'Wilkos' in the Daytime Circus". Broadcasting and Cable. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  6. ↑ Fillo, Maryellen (March 12, 2010). "Steve Wilkos and Rachelle Wilkos Show Off Their Home". The Hartford Courant. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
  7. ↑ Graham, Colin (1999). "Steve's Interview". Archived from the original on 2009-10-25. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  8. ↑ Hiatt, Brian (2002-03-29). "ABC Cancels "Once and Again"". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  9. ↑ YouTube - MCW Steve Wilkos & Gillberg Vs. Dino Divine & Chad Bowman
  10. ↑ "Vivienne on Check Please!". Toyus Interruptus. 2005-10-20. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  11. ↑ Duca, Lauren (November 23, 2016). "The Passion of Steve Wilkos: From 'Jerry Springer' Muscle to Daytime TV Healer". Complex.
  12. ↑ "About Steve Wilkos". WGN-TV. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-12-14. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  13. ↑ Pursell, Chris (2007-09-11). "‘TMZ,’ ‘Wilkos’ Have Strong Debuts in Syndication". TV Week. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  14. ↑ Skladany, Joey (February 12, 2015). "Steve Wilkos Gets in Touch with His Softer Side". Zimbio.
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