Latest news with #sexindustry
News.com.au
10-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Imagine trying to sleep at night with $1.3 million in debt': Inside the tax returns of Australia's sex industry
Tax time is here and an Aussie accountant has revealed what it is really like doing tax returns for people in the sex industry. Accountant Linda Mirams discovered her knack for numbers while working as a stripper in her 20s and trying to understand how to complete a tax return as a sole trader. It was the early 2000s, she was stripping on the Gold Coast, and she said there was still so much stigma attached to the profession. Ms Mirams, now 42, told that after an uncomfortable experience with a 'weird and creepy' accountant who didn't take her seriously, she decided to take matters into her own hands. 'I started doing my taxes and started helping out other women at the club,' she said. 'I was doing it for myself and making spreadsheets and tracking expenses.' Ms Mirams became so invested in her accounting side hustle that she went to university and got a degree in accounting. The 42-year-old now works full-time as an accountant and her business, Empire Industry Finance, provides tax return services to the adult and sex industry. The rise in popularity of OnlyFans, a subscription service that allows people to share X-rated content, has meant Ms Miram's business is booming. 'It is my passion project and my baby, and we've even had 8 or 9 girls that have worked in the industry work here with us doing bookkeeping and such,' she said. The accountant explained that she's not 'cashing in on the industry' but rather offering support to the female-dominated workforce. Ms Mirams services some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Lucy Banks, who started as a creator on OnlyFans and now runs the sex worker PR agency Million Billions. 'I've used Empire Accounting for years. The advantage of using an industry accountant over a regular accountant is that they help you with future planning,' she told 'They know how to structure your finances and tax so you can legitimately hit your goals, including purchasing property.' Ms Banks said that she finds 'numbers boring' and she's never wanted to deal with them, so outsourcing is essential. 'I just want to do the parts of my business that I enjoy and I'm good at,' she explained. 'Once I was in a position to do so, the bookkeeping and finances were the first thing I outsourced in my business.' Ms Mirams has seen it all, from clients who come in and are quite literally keeping all their earnings under their mattress, to clients who have 'squandered everything' and left nothing aside for tax time. Ms Mirams said that, for the most part, she helps people in the sex industry make their income usable by helping them be transparent with the tax office. 'People were really secretive and were getting knocked back from banks and thought they had to hide their money,' she said. 'We help them buy houses and cars.' The 42-year-old said that you could possibly get away with hiding cash from the tax office in the early days, however with OnlyFans the money gets deposited directly into the creator's bank accounts. 'They can't get away with not declaring income,' she added. Ms Mirams said the biggest mistake people make is just not confronting the fact they'll need to pay tax or thinking they'll be able to avoid it. 'The biggest mistake is burying your head in the sand and thinking I'll deal with it later,' she said. It is a bad mistake to make because creators on OnlyFans can start earning big money – sometimes immediately. She recently dealt with a client who was making $60,000 a month after only being on the platform for three months. The accountant said she's seen first-hand what can happen if you keep ignoring the tax office, even if you're a high-earner. 'It is hard to catch up and you're always trying to chase your tail if you're getting on top of debt,' she argued. 'The biggest debt I've ever had to tell a client was $1.3 million.' Ms Mirams said breaking the news to the client that they owed such a large amount was pretty 'terrifying' because she knew the individual didn't have the money to pay the debt. The Australian Taxation Office also charges interest on debts, and that particular debt ended up costing the client thousands of dollars a month in interest. 'Imagine trying to sleep at night with $1.3 million in tax debt,' she said. Ms Mirams said she was relieved to say that getting into debt isn't the norm, and a lot of her clients are financially savvy. 'We have clients that are earning between $100,000 to $800,000 a month and they are earning big money,' she said. 'It is refreshing at the end of the quarter, when you say, you owe $250,000 and within five minutes they've paid it.' Ms Mirams said a good tax return comes down to understanding that you need to be able to justify your claims and keep diaries, as well as evidence. You can't just say you went on a work trip; you need to be able to justify that it was a trip you worked on and have the receipts to prove it. 'It is about showing this is what you do, this is what you need, and this is how you use it for work,' she explained. Ms Mirams said that at the end of the day, all she wants to do is help clients use their money freely and without worry. 'The main message we drive home to clients is – you need to think about the end goal.' The accountant argued that if you want to have an awesome life and 'you don't want to pay taxes' that is never going to work. 'In order to get ahead, to get investments and properties and set yourself up – taxes are part of it,' she argued.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sex Workers, OnlyFans Models, And Strippers Are Sharing The Stories Of Their First Client, And They're Honestly Fascinating
Recently, Reddit user drowning_fish_101 asked, "For those who worked (or still are) as a sex worker, what was it like having your first client?" and the responses were super fascinating. Here's what former sex workers, strippers, and others in the sex industry had to share about their first times working. 1."I was about 20/21 at university and worked in a cafe run by these two funny gay guys. They told me one day that they knew a lot of older women who were looking for sex and willing to pay for it. All I needed to do was turn up, be dressed nicely, have dinner and drinks, maybe a river cruise through the city and back to their hotel for sex. This was before smartphones, so not once did I get a photo of these women beforehand, and I was always worried about what I was walking into and if I could perform." "I only did it five to ten times for money, and I was fortunate that none of them were completely unattractive, and they were all extremely nice and interesting to spend time with. The first one was a lady in her fifties who was career driven and just kind of missed the boat for marriage and children. First impressions: she looked like a cold corporate woman, but she was actually quite lovely and just lonely and wanted attention. We actually caught up again a few more times for no money, but she would always pay for everything." —u/GhostKingHoney 2."I remember my first client wanted a foot job. I was in no way prepared for giving that type of a repeated movement with my legs. It was so physically exhausting. I was in my early twenties at the time. I just remember the client looking really young. I wore lingerie the whole time and did the foot job. After he came, he just wanted to talk for the rest of the session. He asked me a lot of questions about the job I was doing. It was not a bad experience; the client was respectful." —u/LauraLovexxxgodes 3."I was 19, and I was told I would be taking a woman to a wedding. There was no talk of sex. Just the promise of a bonus from the woman who set up the date if the woman I escorted gave me a good review. The mark was a 32-year-old divorcee who was absolutely gorgeous. The wedding was for her ex' sister, who was also her best friend. I played the part through the ceremony, where she pointed out her ex. He was skinny, short, and had no muscle — totally the opposite of me. We went up to change for the reception. That's where I learned what it would take to get the bonus, and I obliged. She was exaggerating and screaming since the ex was in the next room. We were all over each other at the reception. Back to the room where we performed all night, and she would get digs in on her ex. The morning, she pushed me out of the door naked in front of her ex, whom my manhood must have dwarfed, by the look on his face." "Luckily, there was a room service cart. I used the house phone to call my handler. I was driven to her house, and I got the bonus. I was enchanted by the mark but disappointed because I didn't get out with the new tux or suit. A week later, those were dropped off with an envelope with 5k and a note saying I was a bargain, amongst other things. I admired her and wish I would have seen her again." —u/Arnaghad_Bear 4."My first sex work experience was with a man I met through SeekingArrangement (a dating website that facilitates 'mutually beneficial relationships' between 'sugar daddies/mommies' and 'sugar babies'). We had an ongoing thing where he genuinely helped me to get off drugs and encouraged me to do better. He became my sugar daddy and even offered me a job in his company if we agreed not to mention our past. I turned him down, and sadly, he passed away months later. He had cancer and never told me. I think about him often, especially when setting and achieving my goals." —u/Nose-Working 5."Former stripper here. ... It was absolutely terrifying. I will say that I had really no idea what I was walking into. I saw an ad on Craigslist, sent in a bikini picture (smart), received an email from the owner, and went in that night. I thought I would just get some information and go from there, but they convinced me to do a short shift then and I had never done anything like that before." "For that first time, I was given a little outfit (similar to a bikini) for free (which I still have) and just sent out to watch what the other girls were doing. I remember that it was oddly early in the day, so there weren't a ton of people in the club, which was helpful, but I honestly had no idea what was going on. The DJ pulled me aside and asked me what kind of music I liked, to which I answered 'rap,' and he laughed at me. Then he asked me what I was going to go by. Again, I was speechless, and one of the managers happened to be walking by, thankfully. He threw out 'Delilah,' and she was born. Shortly after, it was my first time on stage, and because there were so few girls in the club, we were each doing three songs on the top stage and three songs on the bottom stage. The pole was intimidating, I could barely walk on heels, so I basically just rolled around on the stage, rubbing my boobs. When I got to the bottom stage, one of the other girls took pity on me and came up to sit at the tip bar. If I remember correctly, she was my first customer. She leaned into me and instructed me to lean back onto the bar and bicycle my legs in the air while keeping eye contact as she tucked dollar bills in the waistband of my bikini bottoms. She saved my life that night. If you're here, I love you. When I went to the back rooms to give my first private lap dance, I was awkward as all hell. When you come back, you have to pay the bouncer (1 song=$30, $20 of which went to me and $10 for the house), and I asked him about taking off my bottoms. I had seen several of the girls taking off their bottoms while they were dancing to reveal a sparkly or beautiful thong underneath, but I was nude under mine, and it wasn't a nude club. I remember him staring at me, asking why I didn't have a thong on underneath, and me getting defensive because no one had told me or provided me with one. ... It gets a lot easier. You start having to pay for everything, including outfits, work, and makeup. Luckily, at my club, there was a house mom who took care of us. As someone told me soon after I started working, I did quickly become jaded, and it became second nature to just go sit on a random man's or woman's lap and disconnect from who I was entirely, which is a quiet, calm, not super social person." —u/kdubs542 6."I was extremely nervous. I knew nothing about my client, and I was worried about whether or not she would enjoy herself. I arrived at the hotel and knocked on the specified door. She ended up being a perfectly average middle-aged woman. I followed my instruction manual to the letter for all the introductory stuff. She warned me that she doesn't get off easily and requires a lot of warmup." "Long story short, I went down on her for at least 40 minutes. She went from zero reaction to a muted one, but I didn't see anything that indicated she might have gotten off. I raised the white flag after 40 minutes and apologized if I didn't get her off. She said, 'Are you kidding me? I got off like five times!' She ended up repeating this with me two more times and left some great reviews for me. She also gave me some insights about the industry. 10/10 first customer." —u/WindJammer27 7."I was absolutely terrified. I entered the industry for the first time as a mature woman, surrounded by young girls with long legs and perky tits. I had always been a very sexual person, so I thought that I'd be like a fish to water, but I was not prepared for the emotional toll of trying to sell myself to every man who walked in. My first booking was a man in his early thirties, and it turned out he was high on coke. ... He couldn't even get hard. I thought it was me. I never doubted my oral skills but assumed he wasn't attracted enough to me. It was some of the more experienced girls who later explained coke dick to me." "Fourteen months later, I'm still in the industry and love it. The selling aspect has become so much easier. I make good money and meet some truly fabulous people. But whenever I get upset about missing a booking or not getting as many as I'd like to, I think about how excited I was the first time I was told that someone was paying to have sex with me and the dread that immediately followed about 'what now,' and I realize that a quiet day isn't so bad." —u/BustyRedd 8."I've had issues with sex and being emotionally connected, so I thought I'd be great at stripping and sex work in general. The first shift was my last because I found the aggressiveness of the girl who was supposed to be helping me out to be unpalatable. It was day shift on a weekday, so hardly anyone was in there aside from a small handful of people. One dude who seemed ready to buy a dance kept getting followed around by the other girl. He kept trying to get away from her to talk to me, and I had no idea what I was doing and didn't want to step on any toes. After my first dance, he finally was able to approach me and told me to watch out for her and that they just returned from her aggressively giving him a blowjob in the parking lot, and that, apparently, she wouldn't stop complaining about me." "I was completely lost at how to handle this as she hadn't mentioned having any issue with me or shown that she was upset (I guess I expected some level of professionalism LOL). He ended up buying a dance from both of us 'discounted' so that she could show me the ropes. It was very awkward for me, and after that, I had so much anxiety that I decided it wasn't for me. I'm sure I would have eventually figured things out, but the first day felt as disorganized and weird as you'd expect, and I don't think I would have ever done well with the more competitive women such as that girl." —u/blankbreadbox 9."Does phone sex count? Many moons ago, there used to be phone numbers in little sleazy magazines with pictures of pretty girls and women. Phone 18-year-old Missy now! Talk to 33-year-old Karen, the single mum, now! 55-year-old granny Rita is ready for your call now! Ring Gina, the transgender 24-year-old, for a chat! None of these people actually existed. All but one of us on the phone lines were ex-working girls. I was the exception. We signed into the phone system on our own home phone. We heard a code when calls were connected, and then we knew which character we were to play." "I was terrified for the first call. I had no idea what to say, but I got through it. The boss listened in. Funnily enough, I turned out to be exceptionally good at it. I bought some books on the psychology of sex and sexual fantasies, and that helped. I was running the company, doing the phone system, the rostering, and checking on the girls' calls within a couple of months of starting. I was also making phenomenal money. We were paid by the minute. Later in my employment, I was offered a video slot when they began doing video calls. I left the company. I was fine being an anonymous, never-to-be-found voice on a phone line, but no way was I going to do video chatting. ... The most popular characters on the phone lines were the transgender ones. By a country mile!!! I also became adept at sound effects. Some guys wanted to hear you urinate on the toilet (always kept a glass of water next to the loo), high heels walking across a floor (high heels on a coffee table), a 'wet pussy' was a mouthful of water and a finger squishing around in there or a piece of latex with some lube and of course a vibrator had to always be on standby. Personally, I preferred the guys who were just lonely and wanted someone to talk to. My record was over four hours with one caller. The system would automatically hang up every hour as a reminder to the caller about how much money he was spending. Depending on the line he rang in on, it was $1.95 or $3.95 a minute. I got about a dollar a minute. Not bad sitting at home in my comfy clothing watching TV with closed captions whilst pretending to be in sexy nightwear with an insatiable sexual appetite!" —u/Lightfairy 10."I'm technically in the industry. I work as a lingerie barmaid — called Skimpys in Australia. My first day was terrifying. I'm confident and always wear tiny bikinis on the beach and post pretty revealing photos on my Instagram just for fun. But the first day, I was shaking, fixing my outfit, and being awkward. I realized my job was less about what I wore and more about the conversations I had. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to have a job with such a good hourly rate that put me through a degree, but it was so emotionally exhausting. It's called surface acting in psychology — constantly being on and in a good mood, laughing at dumb jokes, smiling at creepy compliments, and men double your age drooling over you, barely looking into your eyes. The half-naked part is honestly the easiest part of it. It's the constant pretending and the character you put in that's exhausting." "I've done it for almost three years now, and now that I've graduated, I'm excited to move on to the next thing. I hear the same experience from my dancer friends. Dancing and being half-naked, you barely notice, but the emotional toll is heavy. But a lot of girls have funded buying a house, big travel, or paid for degrees outright. I'm sure sex work is similar, from what I hear from my friends." —u/Middle_Potential_335 11."I was a sex worker. My first client was actually nice; I was absolutely terrified, though. It hadn't been long since I had my daughter, so my body wasn't 100%, but he thought I looked amazing. It built my confidence up." "I was young, in an abusive relationship. I was bought a bunch of flowers by a client and I genuinely cried." —u/Glad_Independence874 12."I'm a former OnlyFans girl. I'm well-educated, but I'm from a poor country, and I'm a breadwinner. I was so, so lucky; my first client was a sweet man — a widower. He just wanted company and some playtime. For my second client, I was even luckier. She was a lovely woman. She was just lonely. It was her first time ever on OnlyFans, trying it out. Everyone else after that were pigs. I really felt like an object. I was dissociating a lot and hated my body. But I stayed on for the money to pay for school (Master's, mind you) and my parents' hospital my second client (the woman), whom I had gotten close to, offered me a large sum so I could leave the business and focus on finishing my degree and getting another job where I was safer." "I stopped. We kept in touch, got even closer, and fell in love. We're dating now. I'm in a good job and I graduated. It's been two years now, and I'm happy and safe!" —u/ThrowRASufficient34 13."I started stripping on my 18th birthday. My first lap dance was a $200, 15-minute private dance. The guy was 25 and from the UK (this was in the USA). I cried while sitting on his lap because I had no idea what to do. He was so nice and just hugged me and told me it was okay, even though he had just spent $200 to have some girl cry on his lap. I hung out with him the rest of the night (with one of his friends and one of mine)." —u/rosethepug 14."I was a 22 y/o crossdresser at the time, and I found a guy (let's call him Kevin) on Grindr. He said he liked spoiling people and said he'd pay me to have sex with him. He was a ... not my type, but I wasn't bothered by it. I let four people know exactly where we were going to be and who he was before I did it. I dressed up in a cute fit, and he complimented me, and I felt affirmed at a time when I was questioning my gender. He asked if $100 was okay. I was only expecting half that, so of course, I said it was okay. We had sex outside, and he was really sweet. We cuddled and talked more than we had sex. He told me his nephew was transitioning and started living with Kevin because he was escaping his bigoted parents. Kevin asked for advice on how to make his nephew feel safe and stuff. Kevin even respected my boundaries as far as what I did and did not want. He was a really caring guy who was just lonely." "After I left, I bought some outfits and sent pics of me to him. I haven't heard anything after that. I hope he's doing okay." —u/RavenQuill 15."It was stressful AF. Meeting someone new and then having sex as a service instead of for fun was definitely anxiety-provoking. ... For me, I think most of the jitters came from the fear that I would disappoint the client in some way. What if he sees my body in real life and doesn't like it? What if I'm too awkward? What if I'm not as good at tomfoolery as I thought? What if he wants me to ride him, but I lose my balance and break his dick and accidentally punch him in the face while trying to catch myself??" —u/Iskracat 16."He was a prominent Canadian businessperson, and I was a college student in Indiana in my twenties. He was married and used a fake name, but I figured out who he was. He was kind and generous, and we saw each other several times whenever he came into town. He really liked to see himself as a mysterious benefactor and had a weird breeding kink, but he was a lovely man. Then he died of cancer and had a big plaza named after him, and sometimes I see it mentioned and think, 'Huh. That was a weird time.'" —u/All_In_A_Row 17."I got into being a sugar baby and a sex worker not from financial need but more so curiosity and desire. I found it hot that people would pay me for something I already wanted to do. I'm not romantically attracted to men, but I have a good time sexually and enjoy their company, so it was very easy for me to not have any emotional messiness. The first client started up during the pandemic, so we actually ended up talking on the phone for months before we were able to meet up. By the time we did, I was very comfortable with him and was already receiving monthly funds. I left the scene when I started dating my girlfriend more seriously, but I have no regrets!" —u/Sensitive-Pudding-50 18."I met him on SeekingArrangement. I was 19 years old. We had a drink at a dive bar I was familiar with in the downtown part of my hometown. I blew him in the backseat of my car for $200. I had sex a bunch, so I was 'experienced,' but I never did it in a straight-up transactional way. I had worked some shifts at strip clubs, though, so I wasn't SO green on taking the money. But the money actually changed my life. I needed it badly for some bill. I went immediately to the bank right after he finished to deposit and pay the bill. I didn't use a condom because I'm an idiot, but yeah, that was the first time. He was kinda lowkey good-looking. ... The guys on SeekingArrangement are super weird, though. I had various weird interactions with different guys after him, but he was actually pretty chill." —u/stephiree 19."I was pressured by my then-husband, of all people, to become a sugar baby at the ripe age of 38. I went on my first sugar date, and the sugar daddy and I instantly got along. We fell in love over the course of a year. We're together for life now. 🤷🏻♀️ I believe I've won the sugar life lottery." "The first date was incredibly hard. I actually called him and told him I couldn't go through with it, but he convinced me to at least go for dinner. It was a nice restaurant, high-end but not snooty, and we had the most lovely time. He mostly asked me questions about myself. I followed suit and asked about his life a lot, but he was cryptic. At the end of the date, he didn't even touch me or attempt a hug or a kiss. He walked me to my car, opened the car door for me, and asked me to drive safely. He then said he'd send me his last name and to look him up online." —u/sprinklingchaos 20."I was 18 and anxious as could be! I showed up to the hotel room. The guy let me inside and then started questioning me. 'How do I know you're not a cop?' I decided to get things started by telling him, 'Maybe you should check me for a wire.' It was pretty simple from there." —u/MidniteMistress 21."My fiancé and I started doing it six months ago. I was pretty nervous for the first five minutes until we realised it was a normal guy, and then it was super chilled out and easy. We're no stranger to threesomes, so no confidence issues there, but we'd never done it for money before." "We charge double for the both of us, and all the money goes into the wedding fund." —u/Sissy4Kink 22."I was in my late twenties, had lost my job, a parent had died, I was about to be evicted, and my cards were maxed out. I knew a ton of gay escorts and porn models. I pretty much kept it to referrals only, as for a quick minute, I was on Rentboy. It mostly was that either someone wanted a three-way or the friend couldn't do it (usually out of town). So I wasn't nervous the first time I did it on my own. The first time I did one alone, it was pretty fun, and I earned a bit of money. He was in his late fifties and pretty good-looking, but nothing super wild. He came six times. It lasted like 30 minutes, and it was four figures. And when I stopped, I still hooked up with him." "I was on Doxyprep, so I would charge extra without condoms. I don't do drugs, so that got strange at times, but most didn't ask. I kept testing every two months, and things turned out fine health-wise. I met a few people, and most were professionals who saw it as a convenience. When I smelled meth, or something seemed odd, I just left." —u/ughliterallycanteven 23."This guy liked to buy custom videos of me, and he asked me if I would make a video for him of me fucking some college student. I found a guy who I already wanted to fuck but who just lived an inconvenient distance away, and it turned out he was down to be filmed. I drove to his place, had an AMAZING time, took a video, edited it together nicely, sent it to the buyer, and got $3600. So, it really couldn't have gone better." —u/Brueguard 24."The first time was purely just to say I had done it. I was 19 and went on Craigslist and answered a post from a guy asking for a threesome with two women. We messaged back and forth for a while, but our schedules didn't line up right away. He had a woman text me to verify he wasn't dangerous and actually paid. He lived a bit away, and I didn't drive, so he eventually ended up driving to my city, picking me up, and getting a hotel. I brought a bottle of wine and some weed because I was nervous. We ended up talking for about an hour. Then, we eventually moved on to the deed. He basically had a micro penis, and that was my first time ever seeing such a sight. But I keep it professional. At some point, probably because I was tipsy, I started making out with him. That caught him off guard." "Anyway, we finished (well, he finished), and I changed. He paid me and took me to a friend's house. I never met up with him again, but he did text me to ask about the kissing. He was so used to sleeping with working girls who had strict boundaries (rightfully so) that that had never happened to him before. He then proceeded to text me for nearly five years after that to try to arrange a meet-up. I figure I was more personable than other, more experienced girls, and he liked it was more like a girlfriend experience." —u/-zombie-mami- 25."I didn't even realize it was happening until he paid me. I sneaked into the Bike Stop in Philly at the age of like 17 or 18, back in like 2002. Immediately, older dudes are offering me drinks and chatting me up. It was so much attention. I'm a chubby nerd, and it's new and flattering as hell. I wound up talking to this dude for a while. He was talking about how he was a lawyer. I was asking him about cases and shit. Finally, he was like, 'Are we going home?' and I was like, 'Yeah, alright.' So we got back to his place, we did some stuff, and it was all fun. I hopped in the shower for a minute, and when I got dressed and came back out, he handed me like $100 and said, 'For the cab,' with a wink." "Yeah...I went back the next week. I made so much cab money." —u/Netzapper 26."I was on the SeekingArrangement website for not very long, and there were some genuinely nice men, looking for their taste, I guess (IDK a better way to put it), but there were also some straight-up creeps. I will admit I slept with a guy 30 years my senior, and we had arranged a monthly agreement where he'd pay me $2000. It didn't work out, but the men I met on there beforehand made me question society. They were blatantly cheating on their wives, not even trying to hide it, saying you will get this amount if you have a place I can fuck you, or this amount if I have to rent a hotel." —u/leighsknees16 27."He asked to be humiliated. I smiled and made him confess everything and saved the receipts. Now, he tips extra just to keep them hidden. First client. Still my favorite toy." —u/Mistress_Zaveya 28."I was 18, fresh out of high school, and wanted to make money for Christmas, but nowhere 'normal' was hiring. I got work at a brothel/parlor that I didn't realize at the time had a horrible reputation. It had known gang-affiliated clients. The owner would collect her 'room fees' in the morning (of a $200 one-hour booking, we would get $125 for ourselves, and $75 would go to her for using the room) and have a general vacuum and tidy up before leaving for the day; whatever girls were working that day were also the 'receptionists,' answering the phone, doing all the laundry, collecting money from clients, cleaning rooms, and locking up at the end of the night. We had no security on site. It was run out of a residential house, and it was JUST us girls for the whole day: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m." "My first client was an absolutely lovely older fella whose client nickname/regular visitor codename was Hot Rod. He was a super gentle fella, took it really slow, and actually tried to get me off before anything else happened (I was too nervous to, bless him, but he tried his best). He really tried to put me at ease and enjoy myself, tipped well, and was just a really nice guy. The next 10 clients (10 hours as a first shift) I had that day were back-to-back bookings who were mostly alright, but some of them were super rough and tried to push boundaries (it's illegal to have sex for money without a condom or protective barrier between you and the client, but very legal/decriminalized to have sex for money with protection — including blowjobs with condoms on, which most guys absolutely hated and tried to get out of all the time). They tried to go over the booked time, and one sixties-ish man tipped me at least $500 to give him a blowjob with no condom and cum in my mouth because he knew I was 'fresh' and didn't have the backbone to say no at that point. I lasted about a week at that place before I quit. I burnt out so quickly, having 8-12 clients every day, because everyone wanted to test ride the barely legal new girl. Thankfully, during university the next year, I found a much nicer parlor with an actual receptionist, and the owner stayed on-site the whole shift. Clients were actually vetted before they could book, and all the money exchanges happened in an actual office with security cameras all over the place. I worked there for three more years before I 'retired' when the business sold and I got into a career with animals. I'm still friends with the old owner and most of the girls I worked with to this day." —u/FailAffectionate544 29."I tried only twice, but it was weird, so I stopped. My first time was with an older man. I showed up on time, but he was finishing his salad, so I sat at his dinner table, twiddling my thumbs, waiting for him to finish. Most awkward 10 minutes of my life! Finally, we went to the bedroom; he got undressed and laid on his tummy. I offered a brief massage, but he was so frail I thought I was going to hurt him. Then he turned, and I started playing with him. He liked it but said he couldn't get hard because he had cum once already that day. ... I know he was old, but it still hurt my self-esteem a little." —u/RadiantTurnipOoLaLa 30."I was a sugar baby to different successful men for three years. My first sugar daddy had 800K followers and 'public figure' in his Instagram profile bio. He smiled and told me not to be nervous because I was just his type. When I asked him what that was, he said, 'Scared skinny European girls who don't talk.'" —u/slavicgypsygirl 31."When I was 19, I was stationed with the US Air Force near Tokyo. One time, at a local gay bar, I was essentially recruited by a local massage was expected to end with extra services. I was young and enlisted, not making a lot of money. So the amount of money they told me I could make with my clients seemed really attractive. My first time working was a Friday night. I got off work, dressed, and went to the massage parlor. Clients could come into the shop, or we could be called for an out-call to a hotel. Clients would choose us in person or from a website. The boss came in and told me I had been 'reserved' for a hotel meet-up. I cleaned up and took the subway to the nearby hotel. I was so nervous. My Japanese was very weak, and I felt like everyone in that hotel lobby was staring at me and knew why I was there. ... The short elevator ride up, I almost bailed. I was about to have sex with a total stranger." "What if he wasn't hot? What if he wanted things I didn't enjoy? I got to the room, and a well-dressed, decently fit man in his forties answered. I went in, and we barely spoke since neither really spoke each other's language. We showered, and I nude-massaged him until it was 'time.' To my surprise, he wanted me to TOP! It hit me — I just assumed I would always be the bottom. I was a twinky young guy. I didn't even consider I would be topping. So it didn't go well. I couldn't stay hard. The condom was too small. It was hot in the room. He was very passive and didn't seem to be into it. We finished, and I couldn't have gotten out of there any faster. I didn't feel great about it, but it got easier over time. I did it for the rest of my tour. I met a lot of really nice clients who mostly just seemed either lonely or looking to avoid the hassle of sex dating apps. I did top way more than I normally do, but I got better at it." —u/throw_me_4way 32."I did a solo OnlyFans for about three months as an experiment. I made $1K+ but felt empty; as a guy, I think I did well, but it just didn't feel right. My first client wanted a lot, and I gave in. I probably sat there texting for an hour because I had such a large bit of dopamine getting my first sub, but it wore off after realizing how much time I spent for $4." "I also had someone who was running for a government position in their state subscribe to me and give me some tips, but they eventually deactivated their account. I was in the top 15% of all creators at my peak. I did it mostly to see how I'd do, but I can't lie — also for the money and wanting validation in a way. But I made sure to hide my face and keep myself anonymous. I could probably start posting again, but dealing with the clientele when it comes to this isn't for me, specifically with messaging. I'm a straight guy, but my subscribers were only men. I did have a few offers to collaborate with other female sex workers, but man, I'm just lazy, and I'd feel empty afterwards." —u/HornedUpp_ 33."I have only had three shifts at a brothel, so I'm not super experienced. I was very lucky. Had this guy come in who specifically asked for me. He made me orgasm by eating me out, then we cuddled, and he gave me a great massage. Thanks, Mike!" —u/scumtart 34."I was looking for something high-paying and kind of stumbled upon my shop's recruitment ad. I applied, thinking nothing of it, and was surprised to be contacted regarding an interview. I live in Japan, so in my case, I needed to have the right residence/visa status, which I do. I was also fortunate to pick a shop willing to take a chance on me, as I think the majority of shops would not be open to allowing a foreigner to work for them." "Even then, apparently, most guys drop out after only a few months when they realize it isn't quite what they were dreaming of." —WindJammer27 35."I still work in the same brothel I began sex work in. I was so nervous as I barely knew what the routine was and what to do. He was a regular, and we sat in the hot tub and talked before getting into it. He was very understanding and nice. I look back and realize I got super lucky as there is a whole range of men who come in, and for the most part, they aren't all kind, easy, clean, or not gross." —u/lbm300 36."My first client was a very nervous cutie who didn't seem to know where to start with explaining or doing. It was nice to know how to help someone feel relaxed, and that didn't need to perform or feel pressured. It reminded me how to be clearer with my own language/profile, though — that I only accept older clientele, and how I view/accommodate first timers. :)" —u/prestoluke finally..."It was a blast. I got tossed and flipped around like a doll. She was a 6ft Slavic woman. Mira, wherever you are, I miss you so." —u/This-Peace654 If you've worked in the porn, stripping, or sex industry, we want to hear your story — share in the comments below or via this anonymous form.
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE How OnlyFans killed off the strip club: Number of venues falls to lowest level in over a decade
Strip clubs are dying out – and experts blame OnlyFans. Only 103 premises still exist in England, Scotland and Wales, figures suggest. This is down from around 155 in 2022. Nick Ede, one of the UK's most esteemed experts on popular culture, told MailOnline: 'OnlyFans has totally killed the strip club. 'People are now tipping sex workers and strippers using their phones, rather than slipping a 10 pound note in a thong. 'It's also a clear generational thing, too. Strip clubs were seen as sleazy venues, now they are seen as old and out of touch with today's lifestyles.' The statistics, obtained by MailOnline under Freedom of Information laws, also show how standalone sex shops are vanishing. Just 42 now exist, compared to 104 in 2010. Mr Ede added: 'Sex shops will soon die a death because people purchase them from online shops which package and post them discreetly.' MailOnline sent FOI requests to all 350 local authorities responsible for issuing sexual establishment licences in England, Scotland and Wales. Under current laws, all sex premises – including pole dancing venues and standalone shops selling sex toys and paraphernalia – have to apply for new operating licences (SEV) each year. Applications can cost businesses up to £10,000, although fees vary wildly across the country. Campaigners fighting to keep the sex worker industry alive say the rules have given council bosses 'much greater powers over whether to keep them open'. In total, 184 councils have taken no SEV applications at all since 2010 – when the new rules came into play. The amendment was proposed and passed after a series of objections from local councils to the formation of new or operation of existing strip clubs on the grounds of the impact on the community. Edinburgh, Swansea and Exeter councils have even introduced 'nil cap' orders, which effectively ban new sex venues from opening. Only 50 strip clubs that were licensed in 2010 remain open today. Birmingham is the strip club capital of the country, with 21 active establishments. Liverpool (10), Newcastle Upon Tyne (10) and Manchester (8) follow behind. Meanwhile, Cardiff, Birmingham and Wolverhampton all lay claim to having the most sex shops, with four apiece. Experts believe the erosion of strip clubs and sex shops reflects the overall trend of British nightlife. Around a quarter of UK adults are thought to be teetotal, jumping to over a third of Gen Z, meaning less punters are likely to cross the strip club thresholds after a night out on the town. A 2021 YouGov poll suggests that only a quarter of men would support banning strip clubs outright, with the figure reaching over 40 per cent for women. And earlier research from the pollster shows that the majority of people in Britain think it is acceptable for a person in a relationship to go to a strip club on a stag or hen do. But the advent of OnlyFans has reshaped how some young people engage with sexual content, some experts believe. Data from Ipsos Iris show that in January, 4.4 per cent of the British population – or 2.2m people – visited the site. This was up 64 per cent in a year. Audrey Jones, a campaigner for DecrimNow – the unofficial union for sex workers, disagreed with Mr Ede. She said: 'I don't think OnlyFans has made an impact at all. 'This trend (the decline of strip clubs) was happening way before OnlyFans was a thing. 'They work in different markets and big groups of lads on stag dos... don't go on OnlyFans.' Proliferation of free online porn and cheap subscriptions to creators on OnlyFans does present a cheaper alternative to real life encounters in strip clubs. Ms Jones told MailOnline: 'Strippers are some of the first to talk about when a recession is coming because their customer base is the first thing to go.' Venues don't require SEV licenses if sexual entertainment takes place less than once a month. Sixteen councils didn't respond to our FOI request. Others refused to supply figures. High Street stores such as Anne Summers and Agent Provocateur weren't included in the analysis because they don't need licences to operate.
