Advertisement
Known to be the brain behind The Jerry Springer Show, Rachelle Wilkos has extended her unique Midas touch to her husband’s show, The Steve Wilkos Show, contributing to its status as one of the most widely-viewed shows in the United States. The show has successfully made its way into no less than 56% of households in the country.
Beyond her role as executive producer on her husband’s show, Wilkos is also a super mom to their two children. Given the popularity that comes with her career path and that of her husband, it is only natural that her personal life has continued to pique the interest of many just as her rise to fame and career journey has continued to be an interesting topic for her fans.
Rachelle Wilkos Began Her Career As An Intern In 1994
Now famed as a television producer and director, it is hard to imagine a time when Rachelle Wilkos was only an intern, but that’s how her career began in 1994.
It is certain that she had had a clear understanding of what she wanted to do for a living earlier in life and channeled her education towards that path. It was after she graduated from Wayne University, where she majored in Journalism/Radio, and TV that her career took off.
Fresh from college, Wilkos began working as an intern for a local morning show titled Company back in 1994. It was a popular live morning show in Detroit, and was reputed as the longest-running local show in the country.
She Was Quickly Promoted to Associate Producer
Her dedication and hard work helped her stand out, and she was soon be rewarded for this; Wilkos was handed a promotion that saw her rise in ranks to become the associate producer on the program.
But not too long after her promotion, Wilkos left Company to go work on The Jerry Springer Show as a senior producer in 1995. She became an executive producer in 2008 when Richard Dominick left the show.
She Was An Executive Producer of ‘The Jerry Springer Show’ Where Her Husband Was a Cast Member
Rachelle’s husband is popular as the host of The Steve Wilkos Show which he has been hosting since 2007. Before this, he was a cast member on The Jerry Springer Show wherein he featured as director of security from 1994 to 2007. The latter show is very significant for Rachelle and her husband; apart from being the avenue through which they met, it created the opportunity for them to take on other projects. For Steve, it was hosting a show of his own and for Rachelle, it was solidifying her status as an executive producer.
The first time she served in that capacity, it was for The Jerry Springer Show. Between 2009 and 2011, she executed the production of at least 28 episodes of the show which revolved around controversial issues ranging from incest to adultery, among others.
Rachelle Wilkos Has Also Executed The Production Of Multiple Episodes Of Her Husband’s Show
Created by Steve Wilkos, The Steve WilkosShow debuted on the 10th of September 2007 with Richard Dominick as its executive producer. But then, at the beginning of its 2008 season, Dominick left the show, making way for Rachelle Wilkos to become the executive producer of the syndicated tabloid talk show.
Now in its 13th season, the show has spewed 2000 episodes. Although Rachelle is still regarded as the executive producer of the show in several quarters, we can only confirm she served in that capacity between 2008 and 2013. Also in 2013, she directed the ‘Blood Wars’ episode of The Jerry Springer Show.
Advertisement
She Enjoys Working With her Husband, Steve Wilkos
Many would cringe at the thought of having to work with their spouse but this is not so for Rachelle. She once disclosed that working together with her husband has never been a problem for her.
Noting that they are not together at every point in time as they have to focus on the show and other responsibilities, she made it clear that she wouldn’t have it any other way as working separately might not be compatible for them.
For Rachelle, working together with Steve has shaped the scope of the show in a positive way. While she offers the female and mothering insight to the show, she believes that her husband’s strong male persona creates a good balance.
Rachelle Is The TV Host’s Third Wife
Happy #NationalDogDay to my pup, Lucky! ? #SteveWilkos pic.twitter.com/Dfmn8FrRRn
— Steve Wilkos Show (@SteveWilkosTV) August 26, 2020
Although Rachelle Wilkos is the mother of Steve Wilkos’ two kids, she isn’t his first wife. Wilkos had been married twice before the television producer came along. His first marriage was to Rosae Wilkos back in 1985, but the marriage ended in divorce barely two years later in 1987. He then got married to Hannah Wilkos in 1999 and but the two went their separate ways that very year.
Steve and Rachelle tied the knot in 2000 and have been together ever since, making this Steve’s longest marriage as it has lasted for over two decades.
The Couple Met in 1995 And Became Friends Before Lovers
When the couple met, Rachelle was a producer on The Jerry Springer Show while Steve was a part of the cast as security. According to Steve, he fell in love with her after he got to know the kind of person she is, and this happened before they started dating.
The feeling was mutual as Rachelle had admitted that even though they were just friends, they had a connection; because of that, they spent more time together, allowing the friendship blossom and morph into a romance. They took things slowly and are now married for two decades with two kids.
Their first child named Ruby was born on the 14th of October 2003. Their son, Jack, joined the family on the 19th of June 2005. Until 2009, Wilkos and her family lived in Park Ridge, Illinois; that year, they moved to Darien, Connecticut when her husband’s Show shifted its production-base to Stamford, Connecticut. In 2015, the couple reportedly sold off their Park Ridge property for a whopping $750,000.
The Television Producer Was Born And Raised In Michigan
Rachelle Lynn Consiglio, as she was named after birth, was born in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, on the 11th of January, 1971. Although not much is known about her father, it is known that her mother, Maggie Varney, is a hair-dresser famous for founding Wigs 4 Kids, an organization that makes wigs for children fighting cancer and other diseases that result in hair loss. This earned her the Detroit News Michigander of the Year award in 2010.
Though details regarding her early life aren’t publicly known, it came to light that Rachelle Wilkos was raised in Michigan where she attended Lakeland High School, graduating in 1989. Following her graduation, she proceeded to Wayne State University where she majored in journalism radio/TV.