A native of Chicago, Wilkos served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps for almost seven years before joining the Chicago Police Dept. For almost 12 years, he kept the streets of Chicago's volatile 14th District (Shakespeare) safe while moonlighting during his off hours on television. Wilkos retired from the police force in 2001 and now devotes himself full time to his family and his new show.

Over the last two seasons, Wilkos filled in for Jerry Springer as host of the long-running talk show on more than 50 episodes, using his law enforcement background and no-nonsense style to create his own identity as a talk show host.

Wilkos' popularity has since skyrocketed and his relatability and charm have made for a very diverse fan base that includes people from all walks of life. When not watching cartoons with his two young children, Wilkos makes time to catch his favorite show of all time, "The Simpson's," for which he lent his voice for a cameo on a past episode (a milestone he proudly calls "the highlight of my career so far"). Wilkos has also appeared in several TV shows and films including the hit motion picture, "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me."

A huge sports fan, Wilkos can be spotted at various professional sporting events in his free time, such as basketball and football games, and he is a regular at Chicago Cubs baseball games.

Wilkos' wife, Rachelle, is supervising producer on "The Jerry Springer Show." They have two young children.

Visit the official Steve Wilkos Web site.