Belle de Jour Unmasked

The secret life of Dr Brooke Magnanti, an obscure research scientist, exposed as she unmasks herself as the writer behind Belle de Jour. Magnanti is a respected specialist in developmental neurotoxicology and cancer epidemiology in a hospital research group in Bristol. Six year ago, while doing her PhD thesis, she ran out of money and turned to prostitution to support herself. She began writing her experience in her blog which then led to a best-selling book, "The Intimate Adventure Of A London Call Girl" and sparked two more books and inspired the ITV drama series starring Billie Piper, that is shown in 25 countries. Finally, Magnanti decided it was time to unmask herself saying anonymity had become no fun. "It feels so much better on this side. Not to have to tell lies, hide things from the people I care about. To be able to defend what my experience of sex work is like to all the skeptics and doubters," she wrote on her blog.