Wilkinson was born in Wollongong, but grew up in Campbelltown and attended Campbelltown High School (now Campbelltown Performing Arts High School). She began her career working for the magazine "Dolly". At age 21, she became the youngest editor of the magazine. After four years, she was appointed editor of the magazine "Cleo" and went on to become International Editor-in-Chief. Her television career began in the late 1990s when she was a regular panelist on Network Ten and Foxtel's "Beauty and the Beast". During the 2000 Summer Olympics, she (along with Duncan Armstrong) co-hosted "The Morning Shift" on the Seven Network.