Sex. Let’s talk about sex. Okay, now that I have your attention, you might as well just keep reading. This will be about England, sex, a doctor and a blog. Got it? Good. Belle de Jour is, or was – depending on how you look at it, the author of the massively successful Secret Diaries of a Call Girl book series. The stories tell of Belle’s time working as a high class London call girl. They are quite explicit, but worth a read. However, who exactly is Belle? She also goes by another pen name, Taro. Read on and let’s find out.
Brooke then moved to the United Kingdom, where she studied towards a Ph.D. in Forensic Science and a master’s degree in genetic epidemiology. Both of these were studied at the University of Sheffield. In 2003, she submitted her Ph.D. thesis. The following year, she was awarded her doctorate.
The 1928 novel of the same name, by Joseph Kessel, inspired Brooke’s main pseudonym, Belle de Jour. In October 2003, Belle de Jour: Diary of a London Call Girl first appeared as a blog on the internet and took the internet by storm. As it was completely anonymous, nobody knew who was behind these captivating articles. Nothing was known, aside from that someone named Belle wrote the entries. For once, someone was blogging the actual nitty, gritty details of what it was like to be a call girl, along with vague details of their personal life. Nobody knew whom it was, and nobody was going to find out. The blog won numerous awards.
Starting in 2003, Brooke has said that she worked for 14 months as a London call girl. She began working as a call girl due to lack of funds during her studies at the University of Sheffield. Soon after the blog went public, Orion Books struck a deal with Brooke (or Belle), and began to publish the blog entries (with more personal details added by Brooke) in book form. The Diary of an Unlikely Call Girl and its sequels were massive hits and only furthered the curiousity.
Everything was revealed on November 15th, 2009. The Sunday Times were able to reveal in an interview what Belle’s proper name was. Prior to this, everything had been dealt with in complete anonymity. The identity was so protected; Brooke’s co-workers didn’t know who Belle was until October 2009. Many have said that this has been one of the best-kept literary secrets of all time. Others have compared the secret to the search for the golden hare.
Brooke closed down the Belle de Jour blog in 2011, and instead now uses the original URL as her official website. She still speaks about sex and sex education. She still blogs to this day for a variety of different sites and papers, including The Daily Telegraph. Brooke still publishes her scientific findings on occasion.
The first book was such a success that a show was created and loosely based on it. The Secret Diary of a Call Girl ran for four series (2007 to 2011), initially starting on Channel 4 and then moving to ITV2. It aired in North America on Showtime. The show starred former Doctor Who star Billie Piper as Hannah Baxter/Belle. It also starred Iddo Goldberg, Cherie Lunghi, and Ashley Madekwe. Secret Diary was a clever show and well received. There is talk of adapting it into a film version.
Brooke is now married and lives in the Scottish highlands. She officially became a British Citizen in 2013. If one wants a real look into the world of a high-class call girl, Brooke’s books are worth a read. The television show is also worth a watch. Billie prepared for the role by talking with Brooke, and in 2011, Billie and Brooke reunited and their talks were filmed. The show also produced my favourite quote of all time. Give her works a chance; you’ll never know what you may discover.