Shirleen Allicot: Age, Husband, Wedding, Biography And Everything You Need To Know
Shirleen Allicot is an Emmy Award winning American news anchor best known as a co-anchor of Eyewitness News This Morning and Eyewitness News at Noon on WABC Channel 7 in New York.
She was born in Guyana on August 15, 1974, and has been married to her husband, Jesse Gilmer, since June 2015. This guide covers her age, family, career, husband, children, ethnicity, and the most searched facts about her life.
Quick Facts About Shirleen Allicot
| Category | Details |
| Full Name | Shirleen Allicot |
| Date of Birth | August 15, 1974 |
| Age (2026) | 51, turning 52 on August 15, 2026 |
| Birthplace | Guyana, South America |
| Nationality | American (naturalized citizen) |
| Ethnicity | Afro Guyanese, Caribbean American heritage |
| Education | Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism, Hofstra University |
| Profession | News anchor, reporter, broadcast journalist |
| Current Employer | WABC TV Eyewitness News, New York |
| Husband | Jesse Gilmer |
| Marriage Date | June 15, 2015 |
| Children | Three, two daughters and one son |
| Known For | Eyewitness News This Morning, Eyewitness News at Noon |
Shirleen Allicot did not grow into journalism by accident. Her path started thousands of miles away from the WABC studio where viewers know her best today. Understanding her early years helps explain why her reporting carries the warmth and credibility audiences have come to trust. The next sections walk through her life in the order most readers actually search for it.
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Who Is Shirleen Allicot?
Shirleen Allicot is a Guyanese born American journalist who has spent more than two decades covering breaking news, human interest stories, and major national events. She currently co-anchors two flagship broadcasts at WABC TV, New York’s ABC affiliate.
Before landing in New York, she built her reputation reporting for stations in Connecticut, Long Island, the Bronx, and Philadelphia. Her steady on air presence and consistent reporting have made her one of the more recognizable morning anchors in the New York media market.
Viewers searching her name are usually trying to answer one of a handful of questions. They want to know how old she is, who her husband is, whether she has children, and where she originally comes from. Because Shirleen keeps a fairly private personal life outside of what she shares on air and on Instagram, some details circulating online are inconsistent across sources. This article separates what is well documented from what remains unconfirmed.
Quick Tip: If you only want the fastest answer to “who is Shirleen Allicot,” remember her in three words: Guyanese, journalist, mother. Everything else in her biography builds outward from those three facts.
Early Life, Family And Background
Shirleen Allicot was born on August 15, 1974, in Guyana, a small South American nation with deep Caribbean cultural ties. When she was roughly three months old, her parents made the decision to leave Guyana and relocate the family to the United States. They settled in Ozone Park, a neighborhood in Queens, New York, which became the backdrop for most of her childhood.
Her parents both worked for the New York City Transit Authority, a detail that appears consistently across biographical write ups of her life. That kind of working class, transit connected upbringing is common across many Queens immigrant families, and it likely shaped the grounded, relatable tone she still brings to her reporting today. She has been reported as having six brothers, making her the only daughter in the family, though most of her siblings have kept a low public profile.
In 2010, Shirleen’s father passed away after suffering a stroke. That loss reportedly pushed her toward advocacy work connected to the American Heart Association, an organization focused on stroke and heart attack awareness. Losing a parent to a preventable health condition often reshapes how a person approaches public service, and her continued support of heart health causes reflects that kind of personal motivation.
Key facts about her early life:
- Born August 15, 1974, in Guyana, South America
- Immigrated to the United States as an infant, around three months old
- Raised in Ozone Park, Queens, New York
- Parents worked for the New York City Transit Authority
- Reportedly has six brothers and no sisters
- Lost her father to a stroke in 2010
Shirleen Allicot Education
Shirleen Allicot earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism from Hofstra University, located in Hempstead on Long Island, New York. Hofstra has a well regarded communications program and has produced a number of working journalists in the New York media market. Her degree gave her the foundational skills in reporting, writing, and on camera presentation that carried her into local television news.
Choosing a broadcast journalism program close to home in New York made practical sense for someone already rooted in the Queens community. It also meant she could begin building industry connections in the same regional media market where she would eventually build her career. Many local New York anchors follow a similar path, training regionally before working their way up through progressively larger stations.
Shirleen Allicot Career Timeline
Her career followed a fairly typical local news trajectory, starting at smaller regional outlets before moving into larger, more prominent markets. Below is a table summarizing the major stops in her broadcasting career based on publicly available reporting.
| Stage | Station or Outlet | Market | Notable Details |
| Early Career | News 12 Connecticut | Connecticut | Entry level reporting role |
| Early Career | News 12 Long Island | Long Island, New York | Continued regional reporting |
| Early Career | News 12 The Bronx | Bronx, New York | Developed shooting, scripting, and editing skills |
| Mid Career | WPVI Action News | Philadelphia | Co anchored Action News at 4pm |
| Mid Career | WPHL Action News | Philadelphia | Co anchored Action News at 10pm |
| Current | WABC TV Eyewitness News | New York City | Co anchors Eyewitness News This Morning and at Noon |
Her time in Philadelphia at WPVI put her at the center of several major breaking news events. She reported on Hurricane Sandy as it battered the East Coast, the Boston Marathon bombing aftermath, and the 2015 Amtrak train derailment near Philadelphia. Covering disasters and tragedies of that scale early in a career tends to define an anchor’s news judgment and composure under pressure for the rest of their working life.
Rise to WABC Channel 7 Eyewitness News
Shirleen eventually made the move from Philadelphia back to New York, joining WABC TV as part of the Eyewitness News team. Facebook records associated with her official page indicate she joined the Eyewitness News at Noon team in June of 2015, though some biographical write ups place her arrival at the station a few years earlier. What is consistent across sources is that she now anchors both the early morning broadcast, Eyewitness News This Morning, and the midday broadcast, Eyewitness News at Noon.
Working an early morning anchor shift is genuinely demanding, often requiring anchors to wake up in the middle of the night to prepare for broadcasts that begin before dawn. Shirleen has spoken publicly about the early hours required for her role, and viewers who tune in regularly know her as one of the steady, familiar faces greeting New York at the start of the day. That kind of consistency over multiple years builds real trust with a local audience.
Career highlights worth knowing:
- Interviewed former First Lady Michelle Obama in the White House Kennedy Garden
- Delivered live broadcasts from London during the 2018 Royal Wedding
- Returned to the United Kingdom to cover the passing of Queen Elizabeth II
- Reported on the ground during Hurricane Sandy
- Covered the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing
- Reported on the 2015 Amtrak derailment near Philadelphia
- Recognized as an Emmy Award winning anchor by WABC TV’s own staff biography
How Old Is Shirleen Allicot?
Shirleen Allicot was born on August 15, 1974, which places her at 51 years old as of early August 2026. She turns 52 on August 15, 2026. Her age is one of the most frequently searched details about her, likely because on air anchors rarely state their exact birth year during broadcasts.
| Detail | Information |
| Birth Date | August 15, 1974 |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Age as of 2026 | 51, turning 52 later this month |
| Years in Broadcast Journalism | More than 20 years |
Her Leo zodiac sign is sometimes referenced in lighter biographical pieces, though it carries no factual weight beyond the birth date itself. What matters more to her professional identity is the two decade plus career she has built since graduating from Hofstra University.
Shirleen Allicot Husband: Who Is Jesse Gilmer
One of the most searched questions about Shirleen Allicot involves her husband. Shirleen Allicot’s husband is Jesse Gilmer, a sports marketing executive. The two reportedly began dating in 2014 before marrying the following year.
Some records list his surname slightly differently, appearing as Gilmer in the majority of biographical sources and occasionally as Galmer in a smaller number of listings, which readers should keep in mind since spelling variations exist online.
Jesse Gilmer has built his own career in the corporate sports world. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sports Marketing and Management and has worked in commercial and sponsorship roles within the sports and entertainment industry, including a Vice President level position handling commercial operations for the Americas at Sportfive, a global sports marketing agency.
| Category | Details |
| Name | Jesse Gilmer |
| Profession | Sports marketing executive |
| Education | Master’s Degree in Sports Marketing and Management |
| Career | Vice President, Commercial, Sportfive, Americas |
| Relationship Start | 2014 |
| Marriage Date | June 15, 2015 |
| Children | Three, with Shirleen Allicot |
Is Shirleen Allicot’s Husband White?
This is a common search query, and the honest answer is that Jesse Gilmer’s specific racial background has not been confirmed through any official or verified source.
A small number of low authority entertainment sites describe him as being of African American background, but none provide sourcing that would meet a reliable verification standard. Readers should treat any specific claim about his ethnicity as unconfirmed until Shirleen or Jesse address it directly in an interview or official statement.
Shirleen Allicot Wedding And Marriage Timeline
Shirleen Allicot and Jesse Gilmer’s relationship followed a fairly traditional courtship before marriage. They started dating in 2014, and the relationship progressed quickly enough that they were married the following year. Multiple sources place their wedding date as June 15, 2015, though at least one source lists a slightly different date in the same month, so readers should treat mid June 2015 as the most reliably cited timeframe.
The couple has also been reported celebrating milestone anniversaries together. In 2018, they reportedly traveled to Paris to mark their anniversary, arriving by private helicopter and renewing their wedding vows during the trip. While these details are commonly repeated across fan and entertainment sites, they have not been independently verified through a primary source, so they should be read as widely reported rather than officially confirmed.
Note: Marriage and anniversary details for public figures who are not fully public with their personal lives often circulate through secondary entertainment sites rather than direct interviews. Treat specific dates and celebration details as generally accepted but not officially documented by Shirleen Allicot herself.
Shirleen Allicot Children
Shirleen Allicot and Jesse Gilmer are parents to three children, two daughters and one son. She announced her third pregnancy publicly in February 2021, which reportedly surprised many of her WABC colleagues since she had kept the pregnancy private for some time before the announcement.
| Child | Gender | Date of Birth |
| Shayla Joelle Gilmer | Daughter | March 15, 2017 |
| Georgina Gilmer, nicknamed Gigi | Daughter | July 13, 2019 |
| Wesley Gilmer | Son | August 27, 2021 |
Shirleen has occasionally shared glimpses of her family life on her verified social media accounts, including moments with her children during holidays and family traditions. Balancing an early morning anchor schedule with three young children is genuinely difficult, and she has spoken about making that balance work as part of her daily routine.
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Shirleen Allicot Ethnicity And Nationality
Shirleen Allicot was born in Guyana, a South American country with a majority population of African, Indian, and mixed Caribbean heritage. Her family background is generally described as Afro Guyanese, reflecting Guyana’s significant population of African-descended citizens.
Because she moved to the United States as an infant and grew up entirely in New York, she holds American nationality through naturalization while carrying Guyanese heritage as part of her cultural identity.
It is worth noting that several lower quality biography sites incorrectly label her simply as African American, which overlooks her specific Guyanese origin and immigrant story. A more accurate description recognizes her as a Guyanese born, Caribbean American journalist who became a naturalized United States citizen after her family settled in Queens.
Height, Weight And Physical Appearance
Some biography sites list Shirleen Allicot’s height at approximately 5 feet 7 inches with a weight in the range of around 56 kilograms.
These figures appear on entertainment aggregator sites rather than any official biography or verified interview, so they should be treated as unconfirmed estimates rather than documented fact. Readers looking for precise, verified measurements will not find them through any authoritative source at this time.
Shirleen Allicot Net Worth & Salary
Estimates of Shirleen Allicot’s net worth vary significantly depending on the source, ranging anywhere from roughly one million dollars up to five million dollars. None of these figures come from a verified financial disclosure, tax record, or confirmed statement from Shirleen or WABC TV.
Local news anchor salaries in a major market like New York can be substantial, particularly for anchors with more than two decades of experience, but any specific dollar figure circulating online should be treated as speculative rather than confirmed.
Warning: Be cautious of any website presenting an exact net worth figure for Shirleen Allicot as verified fact. Celebrity and journalist net worth figures published on entertainment aggregator sites are almost always estimates built from indirect calculations, not confirmed financial data.
Shirleen Allicot Awards And Recognition
Shirleen Allicot’s own staff biography on the ABC7 New York website describes her as an Emmy Award winning anchor. Local television Emmy Awards, distinct from the national primetime Emmys, are regularly given out by regional chapters of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence in local news markets. This recognition reflects sustained quality reporting across her career in both Philadelphia and New York.
In March 2023, she was also honored by the New York Multi Cultural Restaurant and Nightlife Chamber of Commerce, according to reporting connected to her ongoing community involvement in New York City. Recognition like this typically comes from an anchor’s visibility and involvement in local community events beyond the newsroom itself.
Shirleen Allicot Social Media Presence
Shirleen Allicot maintains an active presence across major social platforms, where she shares both professional updates and glimpses of her personal life with her three children and husband.
| Platform | Handle | Approximate Following |
| @shirlabc7 | Around 40,000 followers | |
| Shirleen Allicot | Over 60,000 likes |
Her Instagram account in particular has become a place where fans get a more personal look at her family life, including moments with her daughters and son that do not appear on air. Facebook remains her primary platform for interacting with the local New York viewing audience who follow her Eyewitness News broadcasts.
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Interesting Facts About Shirleen Allicot
- She was born in Guyana and moved to the United States when she was only about three months old.
- She grew up in Ozone Park, Queens, as the only daughter among six brothers.
- Her parents both worked for the New York City Transit Authority.
- She graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.
- She began her career at News 12 stations across Connecticut, Long Island, and the Bronx.
- She reported live from London during both the 2018 Royal Wedding and the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
- She interviewed former First Lady Michelle Obama inside the White House Kennedy Garden.
- She kept her third pregnancy private for months before announcing it publicly in 2021.
- Her father’s death from a stroke connected her personally to American Heart Association advocacy work.
- She is recognized by her own station, WABC, as an Emmy Award winning anchor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Shirleen Allicot?
She was born August 15, 1974, making her 51 as of early 2026, turning 52 on her birthday later that month.
Who is Shirleen Allicot’s husband?
Her husband is Jesse Gilmer, a sports marketing executive who has worked in commercial and sponsorship roles including at Sportfive.
When did Shirleen Allicot get married?
Most sources cite June 15, 2015, as her wedding date, though it is not documented through an official public statement.
Does Shirleen Allicot have children?
Yes, she has three children with her husband, two daughters named Shayla and Georgina, and a son named Wesley.
Where is Shirleen Allicot from?
She was born in Guyana, South America, and moved to Ozone Park, Queens, New York as an infant.
Is Shirleen Allicot’s husband white?
This has not been officially confirmed through any verified source, so any specific claim about his ethnicity should be treated as unconfirmed.
What is Shirleen Allicot’s ethnicity?
She is generally described as Afro Guyanese, reflecting her birth and family heritage in Guyana before her family moved to the United States.
Where did Shirleen Allicot go to college?
She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism from Hofstra University in Hempstead, Long Island.
What is Shirleen Allicot’s net worth?
Estimates online range from about one million to five million dollars, but none of these figures come from a verified or official source.
Has Shirleen Allicot won any awards?
Yes, her official WABC biography describes her as an Emmy Award winning anchor, recognizing her work in local television news.
Final Thoughts
Shirleen Allicot’s story is ultimately one of an immigrant family building a life in Queens, New York, and a daughter turning that upbringing into a two decade career in broadcast journalism. From her early reporting days at News 12 to her current role anchoring two broadcasts at WABC TV, she has become one of New York’s most recognizable morning news voices.
Between her marriage to Jesse Gilmer, their three children, and her ongoing work at Eyewitness News, Shirleen Allicot continues to balance a demanding career with a fairly private but visible family life.
