Steve Wilkos

Wilkos joined the Chicago Police Department in 1990,[2] where he was stationed at various times in the Logan Square, Humboldt Park, and Near West Side neighborhoods of Chicago.[10]

In May 1994, the producers of Jerry Springer, 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.[11] Wilkos recruited several fellow officers for the job,[2] and he retired from the force in 2004 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 Jerry Springer.[12][13] In 2005, Wilkos appeared as a guest on Check, Please!, a restaurant-reviewing program on Chicago's PBS station, WTTW.[14] 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."[15]

Beyond Jerry Springer, he has made cameo appearances on the MLB Network. He's also appeared on TV series Between Brothers, The Wayans Bros. and in the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me as a security guard for Jerry Springer.[16]

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.[17] Steve is known for his abrasive approach to solving disputes on his self-titled show, tackling many different issues like child abuse, molestation, and cheating partners.

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."[18]

Like other tabloid talk shows, The Steve Wilkos Show aired primarily on affiliates of Fox, MyNetworkTV and The CW. Only scattered ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates in smaller markets aired it to fill their timeslot. The CW Plus has aired The Steve Wilkos Show since 2007, airing weekdays between 8am-10am.

On January 21, 2018, Wilkos was involved in a rollover crash near his home and was charged with drunk driving. He has asked a judge for an alternative punishment which would result in charges being dismissed upon completion of an education and treatment program.[24][25] On a 2019 episode of The Breakfast Club podcast, Wilkos stated that he had completed treatment and the charges had been dropped.[26]