Meet Rob Chilton.
I’m a journalist, copywriter and broadcaster with 25 years’ experience in London, New York and Dubai. I started in showbiz journalism which was relentlessly competitive, fun and very addictive. After taking a year-long career break in my mid 30s – which I spent backpacking around the world – I moved to Dubai and accidentally ended up writing in the luxury sector, which I love. I’m very lucky in that my work never feels like work.
What types of stories, trends or issues are on your radar now?
I cover anything and everything in the lifestyle sector, which means watches, cars, food and drink, travel, fashion, hotels, grooming, plus some sport - all the fun stuff. When you’re writing about luxury, I think it’s important to uncover the story behind the expensive object. It’s very easy to be distracted by the shiny thing and forget the amazing skill, knowledge, history, and craftsmanship that has gone into making it.
Describe one of the wackiest proposals/ideas you’ve been sent.
“Come and try an ice bath with some sound healing.” Ice bath, no thanks. Sound healing, I was intrigued.
What elements or characteristics do you look for in a story?
Since I started in journalism in 1997 I was always taught one simple thing: what’s the story? Finding an angle has remained the starting point for any work I do. Basically, it all boils down to whether this a story you’d rush to tell your mates in the pub, or one that’d you tell at a dinner party. Is it interesting? Is it surprising? Is it thought-provoking? If it’s an interview, I have to like the person if it’s going to create a good article. The easiest – and quickest – stories to write are ones that come from the heart. I love it when stories just fall onto the page.
What story or stories are you most proud of?
I honestly still get a thrill to have anything published. I never cease to be amazed that people pay me money to write things in magazines and say things on TV and radio. Writing for the likes of GQ, Esquire and Harper’s Bazaar is an honour but my career highlight so far was having three stories published in Time magazine in 2022, something I plan to bore my grandchildren about when I’m an old man.
Tell us about your dream assignment.
The assignments that sent me abroad are the ones that stick in the mind. A classic car show in India with Cartier, driving an Aston Martin around Monte-Carlo, trying on Audemars Piguet watches in Tokyo, and a luxury detox cleanse in Bali were amazing. Interviewing Jessica Simpson in her hotel room in New York was pretty memorable, too. If any commissioning editors are reading this and they need someone to spend a month in California on a gastronomic road trip, I am available.
Where did you grow up?
Reading, England. Also the birthplace of Kate Winslet, Kate Middleton and Ricky Gervais (that’d be a good dinner party).
How did you get your start in the media? What is your story?
I did unpaid work experience at loads of magazines in London for about a year in 1997 - before mobile phones. Then somebody suggested I go see Ian Abbott on the news desk at TV Times magazine. We had a chat and got on well. I asked him if he wanted to see my CV, he laughed and said, ‘See you Monday morning.’ After a few months of work experience there, he gave me my first job and set me on my way.
Finish this sentence: If I am not reporting, I am…
Reading books, watching movies, listening to Led Zeppelin or Massive Attack depending on my mood, drinking tea and eating too many biscuits, swimming, getting a haircut, spending time with my daughters which usually involves swimming, doing jigsaws, reading books and making scrambled eggs (not all at the same time).
Favorite local restaurants or other places to hang out?
My wife and I love going to Mythos in JLT for a cosy dinner. Tashas on Al Wasl Road is also a family favourite, as is Señor Pico on Palm West Beach. For a special treat, I never get tired of going to LPM, Cipriani, Zuma, Mimi Kakushi and Il Borro. The most beautiful place in Dubai? Without doubt, The Arts Club.
Tell us a little about yourself.
The first thing people tend to notice about me is that I’m tall - six foot five. I’m English, an Arsenal fan, an optimist, I love talking to people and asking questions.
Find out more about Rob here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-chilton-3bb30531/.