Secret Diary of a Call Girl

Hannah Baxter lives a split life: by day she moves through ordinary routines, by night she sells sex as Belle, a polished escort who reads people as well as they read her. The series follows how she arranges appointments, manages demanding clients, and keeps her private world separate from friends and family. Humor and frank talk about sex lighten tense moments, while personal conflicts and romances complicate the logistics of her work. The tone stays playful without hiding the practicalities of the job, and the show focuses on how Hannah shapes her own rules rather than on sensationalism or dark crime plots.

Created by Lucy Prebble, the show premiered in 2007 and is adapted from the anonymous "Belle de Jour" blog and subsequent books. Billie Piper stars as Hannah, supported by Iddo Goldberg, Lily James, and Gemma Chan, and it aired in the UK on ITV2.

The series didn't collect big international trophies, but it raised attention for its lead performance and helped strengthen Billie Piper's television profile after earlier roles. Critics and viewers often singled out the show's confident tone and Piper's charisma, even when opinions varied on other elements.

It pushed conversations about sex work into mainstream British TV, prompting debate about glamorization versus frank representation. Costume and styling choices gave Belle a distinctive look that influenced fashion-minded viewers, and the show's candid dialogue about desire and money filtered into pop culture conversations about relationships and work.

Critics gave mixed to generally positive notices, reflected in a modest user score around 6.8/10 from audience votes. Themes include secrecy, autonomy, performance, and the economics of intimacy, balanced with situational comedy and occasional emotional stakes. The series works as a character study more than a morality play, keeping focus on how Hannah controls her life on her own terms.