00:00 >> That's the best headline.
00:02 My smoke buddy got pregnant.
00:04 Steve Wilkos show back for its
00:06 17th season.
00:07 >> Joining us now is the man
00:08 himself, Steve Wilkos.
00:09 >> Wait, what's a smoke buddy?
00:11 >> I can't believe -- 30 years,
00:16 my man.
00:17 You're coming up on in the TV
00:19 business.
00:20 Congratulations.
00:21 >> Started on springer in 1994.
00:23 I always tell the story.
00:24 I was supposed to be there for
00:25 one day and I'm still here.
00:27 >> Wow.
00:28 >> That's the best.
00:29 >> When you reflect back on
00:31 that, what do you think the
00:32 reason is?
00:33 >> A lot of it is luck but also
00:35 hard work.
00:36 Once I got my foot in the door
00:38 at the springer show, I did
00:39 everything they asked me to do.
00:41 They asked me to shave my head
00:43 and all that.
00:44 I worked my butt off to get
00:46 where I was.
00:47 Anything in this business, luck
00:49 goes a long way.
00:50 I'm very fortunate.
00:51 >> With the hard work.
00:52 >> With the hard work.
00:53 >> It never gets old, right?
00:55 Walking on stage, hearing people
00:57 cheer.
00:58 >> It's a good feeling.
00:59 >> I just met your wife.
01:01 She says she does it every time
01:03 you arrive home.
01:04 >> No, because she's still at
01:05 work when I get home.
01:07 >> She's the producer.
01:08 She's the real quarterback of
01:09 the team right there.
01:10 Of course, like you mentioned,
01:11 this all started with our dear
01:13 friend Jerry springer who
01:14 unfortunately had passed.
01:15 What a great, great guy.
01:16 Jerry must mean the world to
01:18 you.
01:19 >> Yeah, he -- you know,
01:20 everything I have is because of
01:22 him.
01:23 And, you know, he -- he's a
01:25 great guy.
01:26 You know, he -- I really learned
01:28 so much from him being his second
01:31 banana, traveling all over, the
01:33 way he treated people, the way
01:35 he was so professional and how
01:37 he treated fans.
01:38 So I learned a lot from him.
01:40 And just his friendship meant
01:42 everything to me.
01:43 >> I concur, too.
01:44 He was such a great guy and such
01:46 a classy guy for all the mayhem
01:48 and circus around him.
01:49 I like this moment.
01:50 I don't know if you remember
01:51 this, but I got to hang out with
01:53 you.
01:54 Look, that's Maury.
01:55 >> Yeah, nappy.
01:56 >> Jerry and Wilco right there.
01:58 I'm with legends.
02:00 TV legends right there.
02:02 >> That wasn't that long ago.
02:04 >> No.
02:05 >> That was a few years ago at
02:07 nappy.
02:08 I thought Jerry would outlive
02:09 me.
02:10 I really did.
02:11 I thought the guy would live to
02:12 be 100.
02:13 He was that kind of guy.
02:14 Had tons of energy.
02:15 Hated that he wasn't working
02:16 anymore.
02:17 And, you know, it's a shame.
02:19 But he had a wonderful life.
02:20 >> Oh, yeah.
02:21 >> What do you miss the most
02:22 about him?
02:23 >> Just his friendship.
02:24 Because, you know, it was such a
02:26 joy.
02:27 He came in.
02:28 I saw him like a month before he
02:29 passed away.
02:30 And we had such a wonderful time.
02:32 And I should have known
02:33 something was up because we
02:34 never talked about the old days,
02:36 right?
02:37 Me and Jerry was always talking
02:38 about sports or politics or his
02:40 grandson and my son because
02:41 they're both athletes.
02:42 But that night it was weird.
02:44 We were talking about the old
02:46 days.
02:47 And it was nice, but it was kind
02:48 of strange for us.
02:49 And I think he was -- I don't
02:50 know.
02:51 It was weird.
02:52 >> I'm sure he's very proud,
02:53 man.
02:54 I'm very proud of you.
02:55 >> I couldn't ask to be with a
02:56 better guy than him.
02:57 >> That's awesome.
02:58 Now, as far as your show, I know
02:59 you tackle a lot of true crime
03:01 stuff.
03:02 And there's never a shortage.
03:03 >> No.
03:04 >> You know what I'm always
03:05 blown away by with the true crime
03:06 stuff?
03:07 In this DNA, this day and age
03:09 with DNA and everything, how do
03:11 people still think they can get
03:12 away with lying to people?
03:13 >> I always think about like in
03:14 New York.
03:15 We tape right outside New York.
03:16 And there's cameras everywhere,
03:17 right?
03:18 >> Everywhere.
03:19 >> Everywhere.
03:20 And these guys are just
03:21 committing robberies.
03:22 And like you said, DNA, people
03:24 are doing Google search how to
03:26 kill your spouse.
03:27 >> Exactly.
03:28 On their phone.
03:29 >> I'm just like, you cannot get
03:32 away with this now.
03:33 >> Right.
03:34 >> And it keeps going.
03:35 >> Are there any big shockers
03:37 for season 17 you can tease us
03:38 with?
03:39 >> You know, there's -- I mean,
03:40 listen, there's going to be
03:41 stories that are shocking.
03:42 But we don't know what we're
03:43 going to be taping from week to
03:45 week.
03:46 But as far as like with the show
03:48 you've seen for the past 17
03:49 years, that's what you're going
03:50 to get.
03:51 That's what our fans expect.
03:52 You're not going to really
03:53 change as long as we've been on
03:55 the air.
03:56 People expect a certain type of
03:57 show when they tune in, and
03:58 we're going to deliver that.
03:59 >> Are you still shocked by
04:00 anything?
04:01 >> You know, I always say I'm
04:02 never shocked between being on
04:04 springer all those years and
04:05 being a cop and doing my show.
04:07 But there's always something
04:08 that happens and you're like, oh
04:10 my god.
04:11 You know.
04:12 But read the paper, right?
04:13 I mean, you can be shocked
04:14 every day.
04:15 >> Keeps you on your toes.
04:16 >> Nobody reads the paper
04:17 anymore.
04:18 >> I do.
04:19 >> I like the paper.
04:20 >> It's my favorite.
04:21 >> How's the family?
04:22 Are you an empty nester yet?
04:23 >> My son is a senior in high
04:25 school and my daughter's up at
04:27 northeastern in Boston.
04:28 >> Okay.
04:29 >> And, you know, my son's quite
04:31 the athlete.
04:32 He's going to be playing his
04:33 final season of baseball in high
04:34 school.
04:35 And there's my daughter, big
04:36 Sonny in Philadelphia.
04:37 >> Nice.
04:38 >> It's always Sonny.
04:39 And we drove down to Philadelphia
04:40 just to take a picture outside
04:42 that place.
04:43 It was a long drive.
04:44 >> Since you're putting up your
04:45 pictures, you posted one
04:46 recently, which was great.
04:47 You at Jack in the box.
04:49 >> I like Jack in the box.
04:50 >> Saying this is your death row
04:52 meal.
04:53 >> Yes.
04:54 >> What did you order?
04:55 >> So, you know, they had Jack
04:57 in the box in Chicago when I was,
04:59 you know, growing up.
05:00 And then they went away.
05:01 So whenever I get to the west
05:03 coast, I'm like, I love Jack in
05:05 the box.
05:06 It's my death row meal.
05:07 >> It's underrated.
05:08 >> I mean, listen, man.
05:09 >> What do you order?
05:10 What do you get?
05:11 >> I get the monster tacos.
05:12 >> The monster tacos are good.
05:13 They're so greasy.
05:14 >> Right.
05:15 >> And it goes through the
05:16 paper, but they're so good.
05:17 >> You know, you drip in the
05:18 morning.
05:19 >> You eat them sober?
05:20 >> I don't drink anymore.
05:21 >> Because you're brave.
05:22 >> Yeah.
05:23 >> That's usually a 3 in the
05:24 morning move.
05:25 >> Listen, when they say, hey,
05:26 do you want to go to California
05:27 to do press?
05:28 I'm like, yeah, they got Jack in
05:29 the box.
05:30 I'm going.
05:31 >> We wanted to say welcome to
05:32 town.
05:33 >> You don't have to wait any
05:34 more, buddy.
05:35 >> We got you a little surprise.
05:36 >> I've never seen them.
05:37 >> We need more grease.
05:38 >> They took the paper off.
05:40 >> Oh, my gosh.
05:41 That's the best present anybody
05:43 can ever get.
05:44 >> Your wife is saying not when
05:46 you have your nice blazer on.
05:48 >> She'd kill me if I took it
05:49 off.
05:50 >> Let's get a breakfast jackup
05:51 in here, too.
05:52 Good to see you, Steve.
05:53 Congrats on everything.
05:54 You can check your local
05:55 listings for the Steve Rocco
05:57 show.
05:58 >> I'm Steve Rocco.
05:59 ♪♪♪♪♪
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