Wake that answer up in the morning, The Breakfast Club Morning.
Everybody is the j n V.
Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. You got a special guest in the building. Indeed, the seventeenth season on Air, Ladies and Gentlemen, Steve Wilcals, Welcome back again.
How are you? I'm great? What're you coming from Connecticut?
Okay, so it wasn't that long.
No, I mean, you know it's not great, but as long as the car is moving, I'm yeah.
Yeah.
You're celebrating your thirtieth year in television. Like on television. I know you started as Jerry Springer's bodyguard and actually the producer on The Jerry Springer Show.
Right, what did you produce.
The no No No.
Name and the credits on a couple of episodes?
Well, on my show, I'm an executive producer.
Absolutely, I know.
But that's I don't produce. That's just uh, you know, they give you the title because if my show ever won an Emmy, if I was an executive pducer, I want to get an Emmy. That's why they do it. So I have nothing to do with the producing of the show. But I started on the Spring show. I was a Chicago cop. Yeah. They just hired some cops to do security and I happened to be one of them, and thirty years later, I'm still here. Yeah.
Yeah.
Did you ever expect your career to end up like No, I was.
Going to be policeman. Like my dad was a Chicago policeman for thirty years and he retired, and that's what I was going to do, you know, just pay a cop, get my pension, and retire. But I kind of like the way it worked out.
So you to retire on a job.
You know, I had twelve years and I could have got a pension, but I pulled it, and you know, just twelve years was long enough.
Actually, did you have to really contemplate like do I leave this where I could go or do I wait twelve years I get my pension. It was good for the rest of my life.
It was difficult because you know, when I left, I had no idea. I left in two thousand and one and I got my show in two thousand and seven, so I never knew I was going to get my own TV show. I mean, that was crazy even to think. But my wife, who's my executive producer became the execut producer Jerry Springer. I actually came home one night and I was covered in blood in my police uniform. And
she goes, this is crazy, man. You need to you know she and she said, listen, when the Springer shows over, we're not staying work living on your policeman cellar. She goes, I'm a TV producer. We're going to go to LA or New York and I'm going to be a TV producer. You'll find something to do. And I said yeah. And at that point, I was kind of burnt out being a policeman, you know. I was tired of fighting and everything and getting hurt. So I was like, okay, I'm
okay with that. When did you really start making money? Ay thirty the TV? At what point did you realize? Yeah? So in ninety four when I started, I was like an hourly guy. Then the next year they wanted me there, so I was a week I got weekly pay, and then I think it was ninety seven they gave me a contract for seventy five thousand dollars. So that's a part time job, you know, And I was making I
think forty five thousand as a policeman. And then the next year they like, not even the next year, it was like six months later they toret a contract contract up and they gave me one hundred and fifty thousand because the show was just rocking, And uh so, I honestly thought I was like the richest guy in the world making one hundred and fifty thousand dollars part time job. And uh so, I guess that was when it really started.
And then after that then I kept climbing, and then obviously when I got my own show, I started making really good money.
I had the second longest running syndicated daytime talk show in current production Jesus, and.
I wish all those people that laughed in my face in LA when I did the media tour, like they were just dogging me man, like Jerry Springer's guy, he's not gonna last thirteen weeks because back then it was thirteen week pickups and they're like, you're not gonna last thirteen weeks, and I'm like, okay, we'll see. You know, thirty years in TV straight, we're never missing a paycheck is unheard of.
So what's the key to the success, though, Well, A tooth question is a two four question, what's the key to success and what did you learn learn from Jerry because he had a long career.
Well, you know, and I'm not trying to sound like, you know, like I didn't learn anything from Joy, but there was nothing to learn from Jerry's show because we do a completely different show. Right. There's a lot of things I learned from Jerry, like being professional, showing up on time, being always ready. And he said, hey, man, when you got don't try to be like me or the show. Just do your own thing and you'll be fine.
The really secret of my success is my wife. And I say that, and you know, I'm not just a husband saying about his wife. You know, if it wasn't for my wife, I wouldn't be sitting here right now. And that's the truth, because you know, I had my problems about six years ago out of d Y and you know all that, Like she stuck with me through that pulled me out of it. You know, I was going through things. And but even like she knows how to produce me on my show, she knows how to
do a lot of things. She kept the Springer Show on the air for a lot of hears, so I got the best executive producer on TV, so truthfully and she and she knows me, she lets me be me. The first two years of my show were terrible. I was produced in a way that was just I hated doing the show. I literally hate it coming to work. And they that person left and my wife took over, and thank god, because I wouldn't. I definitely would not
be on there than nepotism. No, they did not want to give my wife the show because she was the EP of Springer. You know when this when Richard Donnoic left the Springer Show, they promoted my wife VP. They did not want to make her the EP of my show too, so they said, we're not giving you your wife as DP. I s, okay. So they brought in a guy. I think he was on like Blind Date
or Cheaters or something I can't remember. And I said, we'd like you to interview this guy, and if you like him, you know, we're going to give this guy a sewan. I said, okay. So this was a process of like a month, like bringing them in, going to dinner with them. I said, fine, I like him, he's you know, he's okay. You know, it wasn't bad wasn't good but kind of vanulla, but I said, okay, I can work with them. Well, during the meantime, my wife's
doing my show. The ratings are going like this second season, you know, and so I'm like, damn, man, you know, I don't want her, but uh, you know, they were saying no, no, no. So this guy ended up turning the offer down. The guy that he's like, no, I'm not taking it. So I tell the president. I go, hey, man, so what's the story here, Like this guy doesn't want the job, my wife's doing it, and the rings he goes, yeah, okay, we're going to give your wife, and that was it. Yeah.
So she's the key to the success. Clear she is a huge, huge part of it.
Did you guys ever have any fallouts about you not want you know?
Of course?
Yeah, uh you know. There was like she would do shows especially there was shows like with kids and stuff, you know, and I hate it doing those. I just I don't know what it is. I don't like it. I feel like I can't relate the kids. You know, I'm not gonna lie, and but my wife, I just do it, you know, And they would work and she was right, so like at this stage my career, I just even if I don't like it, I just keep
my mouth shut. I just do it, yeah, because I'm like, it'll be over in twenty minutes and white complain.
Yeah, the last week you reported the Steve Wolkals was in the Just with the Mess right.
Yeah.
Yeah, you had taken to social media because you watched the Wendy Williams.
Oh yeah, yeah yeah, and you were actually.
The first celebrity that spoke up besides myself, spoke up, you know, in favor of her about you know, her treatment and how they made her look on the documentary.
Like and I just you know, wanted to know in person, you know, high.
School, you know me and when like when I was launched, I was, I did one of these radio shows. She was so nice to me. Yeah and uh, and then she launched right after me, I think the year after me, and so I would always appear on a show and I had a personal relationship with I mean I went to her fiftieth birthday party and things like that, and you know, I saw her, and I really I really liked Wendy. I you know Johenna I and I don't watch daytime talk show, but I would watch her show.
I thought it was really good. I was interested in it, and I'd like the topic segment and all that. So I really cared about Wendy, you know, so then to show her in that in this you know, and we were where was I I was. I was in Florida and we were flipping thro him and my wife from the hotel, and I start watching, I'm like, oh my god, this is terrible.
You know.
I think like when when I was going through my struggles and you know, at my lowest, if there was a camera in my house filming me, like no, but my wife would never allow that to happen to me. You know, she'd be like, no, they were never doing anything like that. And so it's just because you know, especially as a woman, right what woman wants to see her wigged him, like taking off and showing in that
light or there showing her feet. She's got that some kind of calm with her feet, and you know, come on, man, if she was in her right state mind, she would never let anybody see it. And she's obviously suffering from alcohol, you know, being alcoholic or drinking problem, and you know, when you're going through something like that, I don't think you should be on camera and that managers like, oh uh, we're gonna do a podcast with money, and she's she's ready.
She's not ready to do anything, man, come on, you know, and she should be in a treatment facility somewhere, getting medical attention from doctors and everything else. And it's just to me, it was really exploitative. Yeah, you know, people are blashing back at me like, well, you know when you talk crap about her TV show and go, she's not showing anybody in their deepest and filming them, Like what are you talking about? You know, it's a TV show.
You know. It's so crazy to me how people can cheer the downfall of another human being, you.
Know, especially in these times.
You know, people have been so desensitized, like they've become so desensitized from like actual problems, and they're not able to separate human being from you know, Wendy Williams the media personality, you know, and because she she would ask the questions that people wouldn't ask, she would get in the business.
But that was her job, that was you know exactly.
Well, and then the other thing was people are like, well, she's the execut producer of that lifetime thing, and I go, if you're not in your right mind, you can't consent, you know, like people don't understand that, Like, you know, if you're suffering a mental breakdown, you can't really you're not going to go into a legal binding contract for anything.
Was the last time you spoke.
Well, I think I was on her show. Well, I hosted her show with Jerry when she was on the break, and I spoke to her just before that, and you know, she was struggling at that time, and I told her, I said, hey, listen, anytime you want to talk to me, because I've been through it, and she knew it, and we talked about it off stage the last time I appeared on the show with her. So you know, it's just tough.
And how did you get through because you said you had a DUI, how did you get through your troubles during that time?
I you know, listen, I was drinking too much and it was a stress was it stress? Depression? Anxiety? I was using alcohol to help with depression, and which is probably the last thing in the world you should do. You can afford a driver with stef I could It's listen, I make no excuse I can't tell you why I drove that day or what made me get in my car and get in it. I'm absolutely wrong, and I knew, like my life could have changed a lot worse that day other than I just gonna do you. I could
have killed somebody or I could have killed myself. And h I just said I'm not drinking anymore. Now, a lot of people can't do that, just say I'm not going to drink anymore. But I knew it was becoming a problem in my life and I was going to ruin everything in my life, my family, my career, and I just said, Okay, I know, you know, I'm not twenty years old anymore. I got to take this serious and stop. And I did.
What it happen was that, Yes, so you haven't drink since.
Since twenty eighteen? Was last time I drank? What did it happen?
It?
Am I time there in Connectic. Know what I'm saying.
They didn't give you, no Steve Willco celebrity privilege, like.
Well, when you're involved in an accident like I was, and they had taken me to the hospital, they had to draw my blood, so there's no taking care of me, you know, and truthfully, listen, nobody wants to day right, nobody wants and especially when you're in our position, you know, it's on TMZ and you get blown up. But truthfully, it was probably the best thing for me because it made me. And listen, now that I don't drink anymore,
I'm very productive. I work out all the time. My marriage is great, my career is great, and you know, al cal was really negatively impacting all those aspects of my life, you know, And I was asked about it. I mean, like, you know, I wanted to fight it so bad because I started drinking when I was fourteen years old, and you know, to give up a lifetime habit like that, it's not easy, but I knew. And now when I look back, I go, why in the world did I ever drink? Like you know, but a
lot of people do it. I mean, it's fine, exactly, it is. You got to It's fine. The best times of my life were drink.
So what do you say to people when you think about Wendy Williams and how they showed her situation on television. But you know, God bless the dead Jerry's bringer, Like people didn't even know he had cancer. So what do you say to people who feel like celebrities have an obligation to show you the bad since you've seen all of it.
Jerry didn't even tell me right like a month before he passed away. Uh, he called me up and said hey, because he had nothing going on and stand for it. At the time, you know, Judge, Jerry was over everything. So he called me up and he said, hey, uh, you want to I'm having dinner with all his old guys, his crew security because they'll work on my show. And I was taping that day and I said, Jerry, I
don't want to go to dinner with twenty guys. And when I'm done taping, I'm exhausted at that of my tape day because I'm doing like six stories a day. So I said, you know I'm going to pass and he goes, I really want to see it, Steve, Well, Jay you know doesn't talk like that. You know, I really want to say it. So I'll tell you what. You go to dinner. I'm gonna go home, rest a little bit, and then when you're done, you go meet me for a cigar at John Starks as a place
in Stanford, Connecticut. Cigar Bar so I met him there, and it was crazy because we were two guys that never talked about the glory days, like, oh, you don't remember this, Remember that we didn't do that. He has a grandson and my son is about the same agent or both athletes, and we would always talk about our sons. But we talked about politics a lot and just what was happening currently in our lives. We never talked about
the glory days. But that night we talked a lot about the glory days, which I didn't think anything of it at the time, and it was kind of fun because we never do it. But he never said, hey, Steve, by the way, I'm gonna I'm dying of pancreatic cancer. Wow, and never mentioned it. But I knew something was wrong because I said, Jerry, like you okay, you know, because he was like taking really bad and stuff. He goes, no, No, I'm okay, I'm okay. And that's the kind of guy
he was. He didn't want to put that burden on me, you know, like I, because I would I'd be sad and the press and worried about the guy. And and so we had a great time and he got up hugged me, I love you, Steve, and I was like, I love you too, Jerry. Of course I love you. And that was it. And I you know, then a month later passed away. So I think he you know, that's the kind of guy Jerry was. I don't think he wanted to have people make a big deal about him.
He he didn't want the burden people with his illness, and so yeah, I respect it. But again, just like with the Wendy Williams thing, when you're at your lowest, you know, and I think we've all been there, you know, and uh, I don't think you want a camera on you when you're going through that as simple as that. How have you dealt with it? Death? Uh? You know kind of yet right, No, it's in April, it's coming up.
It was almost like losing my father. I mean, and I always say, no man had a personal interest in me and you know, kind of watching on for me, being there for me then my own father, and so we were very close and Jerry was so great to me and so generous and caring, and you know, so yeah, I mean it was a big loss in my life.
Yeah, what was your craziest show from the Jerry Springer show something that was just so wild.
Which is my favorite drop of water in the ocean. Really, it just a million of them, just a funny story. Like he was coming out with his movie Ringmaster. I think it was like this was nineteen eighty eight, nineteen ninety nine, something like that, and he had came to me and he said, hey, Steve, I have to take my shirt off in the movie, so would you mind working out in me a little bit. I just want to lift enough so you know, I don't look terrible.
And I said, okay, we'll start weightlifting. Well, we had this big fight on stage. It was two women fighting, and I had bent down to break him up, and my groin just snapped in half. Like I felt like somebody shot me. I actually thought somebody pulled out a gun and shot my grind. And I like I didn't know what was going on, and I crawled off backstage. I couldn't stand up, and I crawled and and a lot of people don't even know because the fight was
going on, and I'm backstage and I turned over. I threw up on the floor and all of a sudden, Joy comes walking. He looks down him, he goes, are we working out I was like, damn, I'm dying over here.
What happened?
Did you?
I caught my grind and I took to the hospital and like, I was all black and blue down there. It's just a freak injury. It just happened. Yeah, so but it's pretty painful. Did it take a litt while for things to get back working? Yeah? I mean it was black and blue, man, I mean like somebody hit me with a baseball bat down there. It was nuts, you can get I didn't want to get hard. I was afraid. Man.
Is it true that you have a human hair collection from the Jerry Springers show?
Yeah, so trying to make a wig out of it. It was so stupid, man, Like some women would always fight and I'd be pulling each other's hair out. So one day I took the strand of hair and I just wrapped it up in a little tiny ball. Well then after that, every time there was a fight, I would add that hair to the ball. Well, it got to be the size of like a bowling ball after you know, like ten years, you know, and it was
so gross, man. You know, you think about all his hair and there was all different colors, and you know, there's a lot of probably wig air in there, and I used to just keep it. We had three chairs, it was Jerry, the executive Blue ser and me and then my wife serves four chairs and right my chair was in the corner and I would just throw this human ball of hair back there. And then I got my own show. So I don't even know what happened to that big ball of hair. Oh wow, I hope nobody kept it.
Do you remember the first time the audio just started chanting Stee, Steve, Steve, and why like like organic?
Yeah, it was organic. And I couldn't tell you when the first time it happened, but I remember, like I do remember like I was coming up on stage a lot when the show shifted, when they started having a fight, and then I would sit in between the guests sometimes, you know, because it was just getting crazy, and I remember nobody knew who I was. So Jerry came up on stage and was like, you know, you're here a lot and you know what's your name? And I said Steve.
And I think people just were like Stee, you know back then, And you know, it's crazy because in Chicago had these great audiences. You know, we're right off Michigan Avenue and NBC Tower, and so the audience it would be packed. It was like it was like probably the Kyle seeing back with the Romans, you know, feed the Christians to the Lions, because that's that was kind of the atmosphere and the Spanish studios back then.
You remember the first time you got recognized in the public, when he was like, wow, I'm on.
I remember walking out of the studio and the first time a kid asked me for my autograph because this was before cell phones and you know, I'm sure a lot of your listeners can't even imagine that. There wasn't no cell phones back then. But he asked me for my autograph, and I said, dude, why would you want my autograph? You know, I was like Noah, He's like, oh please. You know, I said, okay, here you go, and and that was kind of like the first time I'm like, man, I guess I'm a part of this show.
You know.
All of that led to all of that had to lead to you get in your own shoulder, Like they had to be some producers back there, like yo, Steven really parting.
I don't know if that was the case. I think what really cemented. It was when Jerry went on Dancing with the Stars, and you know, because I was a big part of the show. So when he went on Dance with the Stars, they said, we can't shut the production of the show down. He'll probably be gone a week. You know, he's terrible. He'll get voted off right away. Well, and back then, we'd take three days a week and we would do two shows each day, so six shows
a week. I did all six and then they miss they you know, underestimated Jerry because audience loved Jerry and they kept voting him to stay on. So I think he was on six weeks. I ended up doing thirty shows. And when those thirty shows are, they rade it really well. So I don't think anybody was sitting around going, hey, let's give this guy a show. I think a lot of them looked at me like he's he's a cop
who cares. But when when I did all those shows and they rate it well, then somebody said, hey, let's give this guy shows on Monday. So Jerry would tape Monday, Tuesday Wednesday, he'd come in and do Tuesday Wednesday. I would do Monday shows and then after that I got a phone call and said, hey, we're giving you your own show.
Oh that person got a raise.
Damage they didn't give me one. They barely paid me a little more than when I was making on the Spader Show. I was like, this is crazy, man. Like, first, the first offer was less than what I was making, so I don't think anybody even knew what I was making on the Sprayer and so I was like, that's less than what I'm making now and I'm gonna make glad. I said no, So they gave me a little one. So, yeah, that first year was kind of rough.
You said, you and Jerry used to talk politics, So being that this is an election year, is that something that we might see in the seventeenth season.
No, No, No, we've never talked politics on the show.
I mean we you know, when you're on the air so long, because people like when I'll come September, I'll be doing the big media, you know for season eighteen, and everybody saying, oh, you know, is there any changes coming up for the season, And answer is no, because when you've been on this line, people tune in to expect a certain show light of Tuck to touch the DNA touch, So you're not gonna fool Like people always said to me, Well, why does moy do DNA every
day I go because people watch? Yeah, like, you know, don't mess around with it.
I was gonna ask what you being an ex police officer, what do you think about how the world is taking towards cops now? Like things have changed right now with bail reform. You know, criminals are getting out faster. It feels like cops are scared now to do anything before everything's on camera.
Well when they I think in New York, didn't they take away their immunity like you can be personally sued, right, yeah? Yeah, I mean you know we didn't have that when I was a cop, And I mean, who's gonna jeopardize, you know, their financial wellbeing to you know, listen, I think I'll put it this way. When I was coming out of the Marines in nineteen eighty nine, I wanted to be a cop, just like my dad. And it was a good job, you know, like you got pension benefits, all
this stuff. If I was coming out of the Marines today, I would never take that job, not in a millionaires. So, I mean, I think policemen really are It's not a good job. You know, you fight all the time, and like you said, you make arrest and people are back out on the street, especially here in New York and Chicago's the same way, so you know it's not a good job.
Do you have a timetable on when you want the show to run?
Its course? I love doing the show, and you know, I'm only sixty. God, I was thirty when I started on TV. But yeah, okay, yeah, it is Come on, man, when you say sixty, see you don't think it's old because you're not there yet. When you become sixty, it's alms old and it is old, you know. But so they answer your question is I love doing the show. I enjoy it. It provides me with a great life, so I don't. I'm never gonna say I'm gonna quit.
But you know, TV's changing, It's it's difficult and it's tough now, you know, and now they're exploring all these different avenues to bring revenue into the show. But I would definitely like to hit twenty. I' mean at seventeen, I'm going to season eighteen. Nice round number twenty. If it would go longer, I guess I would do it, you know, because I just finished taping last Wednesday and now I won't go back to work until last week in August, so I get very quest Yeah.
Yeah, I do have one last question. I'll look at doctor Phil right, and people say doctor Phil went from fixing release problems and focusing on fixing America's problems, like we saw him at the border and things like that.
Do you what do you think of it? I you know, it's funny you say that because I just saw him on the view talking about how COVID affected kids, and the women on the view are like, oh, well, you know, we saved kids from you know, getting COVID, and he's like, hey man, kids weren't getting COVID anyway, you know, you know, and we really hurt our children by not having them
in school. And he made a great point when I never even thought about kids that were in bad situations and now we weren't following up on them, like kids that were being molested or abused at home, all these you know, agencies that were responsible for that, We're sending them into the home being constantly with the abuser. And so I thought he made a really wonderful point. And so I think doctor Phil is. You know, he first of all, he was a very educated guy, right, I
think he's a very smart guy. So I just thought that was really a great point, and he was making some really good points about how kids we've hurt them with their development. Teen suicides, you know, just went through the roof with this pandemic. Because I don't know how you guys reacted to it, but you know, just being home all the time in the same spot, not going out, everybody fearful, that's tough on your psyche, you know. And so like with kids were they weren't getting COVID, they
weren't really you know, a risk. We should have been sending back to school and getting out there and socializing and everything else. So I had a lot of respect for doctor Phil for doing that. And listen, he he has the platform where he can make that change. I don't have that platform, you don't know, No, not with my show, you know, and doctor Phil, I think it's a good move for him, and I enjoy listening to him.
You don't think they would accept something like that from you if you decided.
Not on my show, I'd have to have a I'd have to have a different platform other than my show, my show, my fans, I don't think would be down.
Yeah, you have a very set for yeah.
Yeah, and then you know people like it and I just it wouldn't be good.
Clearly it works man seventeen seasons.
Congratulations, congratulations, that's right, the Steve wilk O Show in his seventeenth season, and thank you for joining us again.
One second, what is your skin regimen? You do not look like a six to zero white man.
You do not. I'm sorry, I shave, I don't do any like. You know, my old publicist, Gary Rosen, he give me all his skincare products and stuff and they're probably all shelved in my drawer in my bathroom, never touched or broken. And my wife like, she's like, damn it, your skin so beautiful.
You don't do anything.
I don't do anything.
Okay, yeah, you're aging like a black person.
Well, the.
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