Jamaican radio host, television personality, and attorney-at-law, Khadine Hylton-Wilkinson, better known as Miss Kitty, was the people’s choice for Best of Jamaica’s Jamaican Media Personality of the Year in 2023, a survey hosted by Jamaicans.com, a premier cross-media platform.
Hylton-Wilkinson was born in March 1981 in Kingston, Jamaica. She is best known as the television show host and media personality, Miss Kitty. She is also known as “The Fluffy Diva.”
She attended Merl Grove High School and the University of the West Indies from which she earned a Bachelor of Laws degree and was called to the Jamaican Bar in 2020 and has been an ambassador for Digicel Jamaica. She has also partnered with the Caribbean-based business process outsourcing firm, itel, since 2019.
The company believes her brand, which focuses on self-care, mental health, and being your best self, aligns well with its commitment to employees’ professional development. Miss Kitty works at the intersection of pop culture, law, health, gender equality and has become one of the top media personalities in the Caribbean, using her reach to inform, educate, and entertain her fans.
Her video series, ‘The Professional You,’ is aimed at young people, encouraging them to make their best efforts to build a career and become financially independent. Her work in television and radio has brought her fame in the Caribbean region, as well as several awards, including the Governor General’s 30th Anniversary Award in 2021 for her contribution to community development.
Miss Kitty, who is in high demand as a host and entertainment journalist, said she “stumbled” into media as a career. Her work in entertainment began “by accident,” she said, but she worked hard in the industry, fine-tuning her skills until she became one of the best in her field.
She wanted to be known for her work ethic and her talent, but even when she had her own radio show and booked some of the most important hosting jobs on the local and international stages, she still felt the need to achieve more. As she could never ignore her childhood dream of becoming a lawyer or a politician someday, she decided to follow that dream and become an attorney. “It was always a part of my purpose,” she said.
So when, in 2018, she passed her bar exams, was called to the Jamaican Bar, and became a practicing lawyer, she reached a long-sought-after goal. Discussing her dual careers, Miss Kitty noted that they represent two different worlds, and each requires a distinct set of skills.
Law is clinical and requires critical thinking and analysis. She recognizes that her colorful wigs have no place in the courtroom, however, and keeps them for when she is on the stage at Sumfest. Operating in two worlds presents challenges for her, but she is ready to manage them.
She summed it up by saying: “When is Miss Kitty time, mi turn it on, and when it’s not that time, me turn it off because there is a time and place for everything under the sun.” Miss Kitty recently tied the knot with long-time friend Ian Wilkinson and the couple is expecting their first child together in 2024.
