Jill Whelan From 'The Love Boat' Is Now 54 And Is As Stunning As Ever

Sep 25, 2021

Jill Whelan is an American actress who is best known for playing the role of Vicki Stubing, the daughter of Gavin Mcleod’s Captain Stubing on the popular television show “The Love Boat.” She has also made numerous appearances on other TV series, such as “Fantasy Island,” “Vegas” and “Trapper.” Whelan had some roles in the film industry as well, appearing as a young heart patient in the 1979 film “Airplane!” 

Whelan was born on Sept. 29, 1966, in Oakland, California. She performed in a production of “The King and I” when she was 8-years-old, earning her the attention of a San Francisco Talent Agency. She then began appearing in commercials. It was an M&M's commercial that gained her popularity among producers, and when she was 11, Whelan was cast as Vicki on “The Love Boat.”

The star graduated from the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California, in 1984. She then went on to spend a short time at Guildford College in Surrey, England, where she pursued a degree in English Literature but stopped prior to graduating. Whelan spent much of her early life traveling the world thanks to her job on “The Love Boat,” which was filmed on location six weeks out the year.

Whelan has been married three times and has two children. She has been very open about her dating history and is a self-proclaimed romantic due to her time on the love-themed television series. Her current marriage is to former quarterback Jeffrey Scott Knapple. Read on to learn more about Whelan’s life, marriages and what she has to say about her time on “The Love Boat.”

Whelan has expressed that she only has fond memories of filming “The Love Boat.” One of the reasons why was because of her great relationships with the other cast members. Whelan was especially fond of Gavin Mcleod, who played her father. Sadly, he passed away in May 2021.

“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 after his passing. ”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.”

Growing up on a hit TV show meant Whelan got to experience things other kids didn’t. “I was able to call Lana Turner ‘Lana Turtle,’” recalled Whelan to People in 2001. “Ethel Merman and I were pen pals, and I got to dance with Ginger Rogers.”

When asked by Starry Mag why the show has endured for so long as a fan favorite, Whelan responded: “This is the kind of show you can sit down and watch with the family. And you don’t see that anymore with shows on Netflix. We thought it was very cheeky back in the day, but now you look at it twenty to thirty years later and it is so innocent compared to what is on TV now.”

Whelan was first married to a man named Brad St. John in 1993. St. John is the father of her eldest son Harrison. Sadly, the marriage did not last, and Whelan blamed St. John for spending all of her money from “The Love Boat.” They divorced in 2001.

Despite the financial trouble, Whelan did not hold a grudge. “He told her how wonderful she was, and she fell for him hook, line and sinker,” claimed Whelan’s mother, Carol Garrett, in an interview with People in 2001. “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.’”

The actress’s second marriage was to Michael Chaykowsky in 2004, and the couple wed on the deck of a cruise ship called the Caribbean Princess. Chaykowsky is the father of Whelan’s youngest son, Grant. The pair decided to part ways in 2014.

Whelan’s most recent marriage was in 2017 to football player Jeff Knapple. “The wedding was completely magical,” Jill shared with Closer Weekly. “We’d hoped for everyone to share in the love we feel for each other, and that’s exactly what happened.” They are still happily married.

Whelan Today

Today the star looks fabulous at age 54. However, she did claim that when she was younger, she was self-conscious about her body. Whelan shared on her Instagram: “I really was insecure about my figure back then and thought I was fat. Wish I had not wasted all that time self-judging and had been better to myself. #notetoself to all young ladies: #bekind to yourself.”

Have you ever watched “The Love Boat”? What do you think of Whelan’s current photos? Let us know, and be sure to send this on to your loved ones.