Paris Hilton's promise . . . or was it a threat? . . . to undergo something of a personality change when she leaves prison and cloak herself in the garments of responsibility and seriousness. This raises the possibility that we will soon see her standing with Bono and Bob Geldof at the fringes of a G8 summit, chastising world leaders for not doing enough about poverty in the developing world.

"I used to act dumb, " she said by phone from her prison cell (how Joe Duffy must wish he worked in America).

"That act is no longer cute. Now I would like to make a difference. God has given me a chance."

Whether her conversion to the path of righteousness survives the first celebrity party she attends after her release remains to be seen.

But there's reason for hope.

Hilton wouldn't be the first unfeasibly rich person to realise that there is more to life than parties and frocks, not that there is anything intrinsically wrong with either. Somebody with her wealth and popularity with young people could do a lot of good if she found a proper target for her interest and philanthropic tendencies.

Paris Hilton won't change the world, but in changing herself, she may at last deserve the acres of media coverage she so easily attracts.