”The Love Boat” is one of those classic hit series that many have fond memories of – I don’t think any show had a better roster of guest stars that the iconic sitcom, which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986.
Watching the reruns today brings back great memories of all the fantastic actors. I mean, who doesn’t remember Jill Whelan’s portrayal of Vicki Stubing, the daughter of Captain Stubing?
Jill did a great job portraying ‘Vicki’ – she was made so well, young, independent and professional. But I’ve always wondered what happened to her after “The Love Boat” stopped airing, so decided to do a little digging.
Be prepared to hold your breath before you see her today…
I can’t be the only one who misses the good old days of television, when TV was actually worth watching. There was always something exciting to see back then – even if you had to wait a whole week for new episodes of your favorite shows.
Just take “The Love Boat”, which aired on Saturday nights at 9:00p.m. on ABC! The comedy anthology series revolved around the ship’s captain Merrill Stubing – played by Gavin MacLeod – and his crew.
Jill Whelan got onboard at age 11 and was introduced as Stubing’s TV daughter, Vicki. Since then, Captain Merrill and Vicki have always held a place in my heart.
Jill Whelan and Gavin MacLeod
Gavin MacLeod and Jill Whelan hit it off with each other immediately – even outside the set. According to Whelan, Captain Merrill Stubing became more than a TV dad for her.
“Gavin was one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known in my whole life. When I first started working with him on ‘The Love Boat,’ he welcomed me as though I was one of his own kids and that never changed. That’s just who he was. He was gregarious and interesting and welcoming and loving and one of the most positive people that I’ve ever encountered in my life,” Jill wrote on Facebook in May.
MacLeod passed away on May 29, 2021, aged 90. The news shocked Jill, who wrote an emotional tribute to her friend and mentor.
”He was more than a TV dad for me. Gavin was like my real dad and his kids were gracious enough to share him with me. And for that, I’ll be ever grateful,” she wrote.
Road to success
Jill Whelan was born in Oakland, California, on September 29, 1966. Her mother worked as a nursery school teacher and her father was a general contractor. Whelan became interested in acting from an early age and was encouraged by her mom, who registered her daughter at a summer theatre camp.
At 8 years old, Whelan got a role in a local production, the musical “The King and I”. That really lit a fire inside the young girl, and she started sending pictures of herself to talent agencies all over San Francisco.
Soon after that, she landed her first TV commercial.
“Right out of the gate, I got a national commercial for M&M’s. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be,” Whelan told The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2006.
In 1979, Whelan was cast on “Friends”, a children-oriented drama series that aired on ABC. Unfortunately for Whelan, it was a flop and got canceled after only four episodes.
However, the young actor had gained a foothold in the industry and when she was discovered by a talent scout working for the legendary TV producer Aaron Spelling, her life would change forever. It was Spelling who wanted Whelan in his productions, Fantasy Island and The Love Boat.
At the age of 12, Spelling brought her onboard when she was cast as ”Vicki”, Captain Stubing’s daughter. Whelan was initially just a guest star on the show – but everyone appreciated her, and before long the young girl was making regular appearances.
Of course, it was an incredible experience for an 11-year-old to travel the world on a cruise ship, alongside some of the biggest TV stars at the era.
”We forged some great friendships over the years. We traveled for the show six weeks a year besides working on the soundstage. You get to know each other pretty well – through marriages and children and deaths,” Whelan said.
“I was able to call Lana Turner ‘Lana Turtle,’” Whelan told People. “Ethel Merman and I were pen pals, and I got to dance with Ginger Rogers.”
After ten years on air, the series came to an end in 1987. The ratings had started to drop and ABC had no choice but to cancel it.
The third episode of the last season of the show – Hidden Treasure / Picture from the Past / Ace’s Salary – was ranked No. 82 on TV Guide’s list of the 100 Greatest Episodes of all time. It starred guest actors Andy Warhol, Milton Berle, Cloris Leachman, Tom Bosley, Marion Ross – and even Andy Griffith.
Jill Whelan today
After The Love Boat ended, Whelan attended college to study English literature. She graduated and returned to the acting profession, making guest appearances in TV series such as The Young and the Restless, Diagnosis Murder, and The New Adventures of Robin Hood.
You could also see her in a few TV movies, including the hit comedy movie ‘Airplane!’
But it wasn’t easy for Whelan to find her place in the business.
“It’s hard to come off a hit TV show. There’s a bit of a has-been feeling, and at 19, it’s a bit incongruent. That’s when you have to redefine who you are,” she explained in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In 1999, she decided to do something different and left acting behind. Whelan got a job as a radio show host and also made a living as an editor and producer at KCOP, a television station in Los Angeles.
Throughout the 2000s, Jill was pretty active and appeared on TV every now and then. In an episode of the game show The Weakest Link, she competed with other celebrities. Whelan won $57,000 and donated the money to charity.
Since 2015, she’s been hired as an ambassador for Princess Cruises. On her Facebook and Instagram accounts, she often updates her fans on what’s going on at the cruise ship and in her personal life.
Jill Whelan – husband
During her time as a producer in Los Angeles, Jill met her first husband, Brad St. John. He lived in the same apartment complex as Jill and they got engaged after just two weeks of dating.
In 1993, Jill and Brad tied the knot. Not long after their wedding, Jill became pregnant. The couple welcomed their first son, Harrison St. John, in 1994.
Unfortunately, the marriage would end and the couple divorced in 2001. According to Jill, her husband spent all her money from “The Love Boat” on risky business projects in Africa that failed.
“There are a lot of women who would’ve been a lot more bitter. She worked so hard for so many years. All she says is, ‘He gave me the greatest gift of my life,’” Jill’s mother told People in 2001.
However, Jill would find love again.
Before she met her first husband, Jill had been living in New York City, where she worked at Madison Square Garden as an event producer. It was there, in mid-1980s, she met John Chaykowsky for the first time – the man who would became her second husband 20 years later.
Jill Whelan married Michael Chaykowsky in 2004 in real “Love Boat” fashion. The wedding took place on the huge cruise ship Caribbean Princess. Among the guests were several members from the iconic television series, including Gavin MacLeod.
”My job was a part of an ensemble of actors who dealt with the issues of romance week in and week out. It therefore seems rather fitting that I should return to a Love Boat for one of the most important and romantic points in my life”, Jill said at the time.
The couple settled down in New Jersey and two years after the wedding, Jill welcomed her second son, Grant Chaykowsky. Sadly, her second marriage would also crash and Jill filed for divorce in 2014.
But in 2017, the bells rang again when Jill married her third husband – former Denver Broncos quarterback Jeff Knapple.
It’s unclear when the couple started dating, but they got in touch with each other through an old prom date of Jill, Bill Sanders. Bill introduced Jill to Jeff and they got engaged in 2017.
Jeff surprised Jill at a restaurant in New York, where he proposed to her together with flowers, champagne and a song from one of Jill’s friends.
They tied the knot at Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.
“The wedding was completely magical,” Jill told Closer Weekly. “We’d hoped for everyone to share in the love we feel for each other, and that’s exactly what happened.”
Jill Whelan net worth
As of 2021, Whelan has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million, according to Celebswood. The former child actor has probably earned that sum from her career as an actress and radio show host.
According to some sources, she also owns a big house in Pennsylvania worth around $660k.
As the years pass, the 54-year-old Jill Whelan only get more beautiful!
Thank you for all the enjoyment you gave many families back in the day, when we used to set around together and watched ”The Love Boat”.
