Career
After failing to start a career in acting, Hilton trained as a journalist with the Daily Mirror before becoming a news reporter with the Sunday Mirror. In 1985, Hilton returned to regular employment at Mother magazine, then in 1987 she moved to the Today newspaper. She was promoted to Features Editor and then to Assistant Editor before moving to become editor the "Femail" section of the Daily Mail.
Hilton became Assistant Editor at The Sun in 1994, then Editor of the Sunday Mirror briefly in 1995, before moving to become Deputy Editor of the Daily Express.
At the Express, she launched the Saturday magazine, then the Sunday Boulevard magazine. In 1999, she became Editor-at-Large at Woman & Home magazine.