Steve Wilkos Net Worth - Pulptastic
What is Steve Wilkos’ Net Worth and Salary?
Steve Wilkos, a well-known American television personality and host, has a net worth of $6 million. He gained recognition for his work as the director of security for “The Jerry Springer Show” and as the host of his own tabloid talk show, “The Steve Wilkos Show.”
Early Life and Career
Steve Wilkos was born on March 9th, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois. His father was a police officer and his mother was a beauty school instructor. Wilkos grew up in the Roscoe Village neighborhood of Chicago with his three siblings. As a teenager, he got into fights and hung out with a tough crowd.
After graduating high school in 1982, Wilkos joined the US Marine Corps and served for seven years. He got married in 1985 but divorced after two years. In 1990, he began working for the Chicago Police Department and stayed there until 2004.
Wilkos’ television career began in 1994 when he was asked to do security for an episode of “The Jerry Springer Show” involving the Klu Klux Klan.
Steve Wilkos’ Career Highlights
Steve Wilkos started his career as a security guard in the early 1990s and was recruited to work on “The Jerry Springer Show” after working on an episode. He recruited officers from his squad to do part-time security for the show, and in 2001, he started working for the show full-time. Wilkos has stated that although the guests on the show are aggressive, the environment is controlled without the surprises that police frequently encounter.
He suffered two injuries on the show, including falling off the stage and tearing a muscle in his groin. During a break from taping the show, Wilkos had a brief stint as a professional wrestler with the Maryland Wrestling Championship. He made guest appearances on television shows including “The Roseanne Show,” “Check, Please!,” “Identity,” and “Maury.”
He was also featured in the 2002 television documentary “When Jerry Springer Ruled the World.” In 2006, Springer asked Wilkos to stand in for him as the host of “Dancing for the Stars,” and later recruited him to substitute for him once a week. Wilkos has also made cameo appearances on the MLB Network, on the television shows “Between Brothers,” “The Wayne Bros.,” and in the film Austin Powers the Spy Who Shagged Me.”
The Steve Wilkos Show
After leaving “The Jerry Springer Show” in 2007, Steve Wilkos premiered his own tabloid talk show, “The Steve Wilkos Show.” The show had a more serious tone than its predecessor, with a focus on criminal justice issues. Each episode featured guests with experience as victims or perpetrators of crimes, as well as individuals who claimed to have been wrongly accused of crimes. Wilkos would often bar those accused of serious crimes from sitting on the chairs on stage and would throw empty chairs when particularly angry.
After the first season, Wilkos added infidelity and questions of paternity as topics, which added a degree of levity to the show. The show has remained on the air since 2007 and was renewed for two additional seasons in 2020.
Steve Wilkos’ Personal Life
Steve Wilkos has been married three times. His first marriage was to Rosae Wilkos, which lasted from 1985 to 1987. His second marriage was to Hannah Wilkos in 1999, which ended in divorce within a year. In 2000, he married Rachelle Consiglio, who worked as an executive producer for “The Jerry Springer Show.” The couple has two children and resides in Darien, Connecticut, and also owns a home in Camp Lake, Wisconsin. In 2008, he purchased the Wisconsin home for $543,000, and in 2009, he paid $1.9 million for the Connecticut home.
In January 2018, Wilkos was involved in a roll-over car accident near his home and was suspected of driving under the influence. The Darien police department obtained a warrant for a blood sample, which revealed his blood alcohol level was .29. He was subsequently arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. He asked the judge for an alternative punishment that would result in the charges being dismissed once he had completed the mandated education and treatment program.
