Steve Wilkos | |
|---|---|
 Wilkos before a show-taping in 2011 | |
| Born | Steven John Wilkos (1964-03-09)March 9, 1964 (age 61) |
| Occupation | Talk show host |
| Years active | 1982–1989(Marine) 1990–2002(Police officer) 1994–2007(Director of Security -The Jerry Springer Show) 2007–present(Television host) |
| Known for | Jerry Springer andThe Steve Wilkos Show |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Branch |  United States Marine Corps |
| Service years | 1982–1989 |
| Rank |  Sergeant (E-5) |
| Unit | 7th Comm Battalion, Okinawa MCB Quantico, Virginia MACG-48, Illinois MCRD Parris Island |
| Conflicts | Cold War
|
| Website | www.stevewilkos.com |
Steven John Wilkos (/ˈwɪlkoʊs/; born March 9, 1964) is an Americantelevision personality and former law enforcement officer with theChicago Police Department.[1] He has been hostingThe Steve Wilkos Show since 2007, and was director of security onJerry Springer from 1994 to 2007. He had previously substituted forSpringer as host on several occasions before being given his own talk show.
Wilkos was born inChicago, Illinois, and grew up in what is now the Roscoe Village neighborhood inNorth Center,Chicago, and is the third of four children. His parents are Jeanette (née Pelikan), a beauty school instructor, and Stanley Wilkos, a former police officer.[2][3][4] He graduated fromLane Technical High School in 1982.[5][6]
In October 1982,[7] Wilkos joined theU.S. Marine Corps, serving in South Korea, Japan, Illinois, Virginia, and South Carolina before being discharged in March 1989.[8]
Wilkos joined theChicago Police Department in 1990,[1] where he was stationed at various times in theLogan Square, Humboldt Park, and Near West Side neighborhoods of Chicago.[9]
In May 1994, theproducers ofJerry Springer, taped in Chicago at that time, neededsecurity guards, so they decided to hire Wilkos and other off-duty police officers to work part-time for the show.[10] Wilkos recruited several fellow officers for the job,[1] and he retired from the force in 2002 and worked exclusively for the show beginning in 2001.
Entertainment Weekly reported that Wilkos became aprofessional wrestler with theMCW Pro Wrestling during a temporary production hiatus ofJerry Springer.[11][12] In 2005, Wilkos appeared as a guest onCheck, Please!, a restaurant-reviewing program on Chicago'sPBS station,WTTW.[13] In 2006, after Springer began what would be a seven-episode stint onDancing 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".[14]
BeyondJerry Springer, he has made cameo appearances on the MLB Network. He's also appeared on TV seriesBetween Brothers,The Wayans Bros. and in the movieAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me as a security guard forJerry Springer.[15]
In January 2007,NBC Universal Television officially announced that Wilkos would host a talk show of his own based atNBC Tower in Chicago. The self-titled program premiered on September 10, 2007, and received high ratings.[16] Wilkos is known for his abrasive approach to solving disputes.
Like other tabloid talk shows,The Steve Wilkos Show aired primarily on affiliates ofFox,MyNetworkTV andThe CW. Only scatteredABC,CBS andNBC affiliates in smaller markets aired it to fill their timeslot.The CW Plus has airedThe Steve Wilkos Show since 2007, airing weekdays between 8am-11am.
He marriedRachelle Consiglio, the executive producer forJerry Springer as well as his own show, in 2000.[17][18] They have two children.[3][19][18] They lived inPark Ridge, Illinois until moving toDarien, Connecticut in 2009 whenThe Steve Wilkos Show moved production to nearbyStamford.[20][5] Wilkos also owns asummer house inCamp Lake, Wisconsin.[5][21]
On January 21, 2018, Wilkos was involved in arollover crash near his home and was charged withdrunk driving. He asked a judge for an alternative punishment which would result in charges being dismissed upon completion of an education and treatment program.[22][23]
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