Back in the 1800s, if you walked through Mayfair or Belgravia at night, you might have seen a woman in a long coat and bonnet standing near a gas lamp. She wasn’t a shopkeeper. She wasn’t a servant. She was an escort-and London had thousands of them. No one talked about it openly, but everyone knew it was happening. The escort industry didn’t start with apps or Instagram DMs. It began in alleyways, drawing rooms, and the quiet corners of a city that refused to admit what it truly needed.
Victorian London: The Quiet Business Behind Closed Doors
In the 1850s, London’s population had exploded. Over two million people lived in the city, many of them poor, working 14-hour days. Women had few options: factory work, domestic service, or survival on the streets. For some, becoming an escort was the only way to earn enough to feed their children or pay rent. These women didn’t call themselves escorts. They were called ‘ladies of the night,’ ‘companions,’ or worse. But their role was clear: provide company, conversation, and intimacy-for a price.
Unlike today’s agencies, there were no websites. No reviews. No background checks. Clients found them through word of mouth, brothel keepers, or discreet ads in newspapers like The Morning Post. Ads used coded language: ‘lady of refined manners,’ ‘accompanied to theatre,’ ‘respected by gentlemen.’ The price? Five shillings for an evening, up to £20 for a week-long stay with a wealthy client. That’s over £2,000 today.
Police didn’t arrest them for prostitution-at least not always. The 1857 Criminal Law Amendment Act targeted brothels, not individual women. So long as a woman worked alone and didn’t ‘keep a house,’ she was mostly left alone. Many lived in rented rooms above shops in Soho or Bloomsbury. Their clients? Bankers, politicians, soldiers returning from India, even noblemen who kept mistresses on the side.
The 1920s to 1970s: Decline, Then Quiet Resurgence
After World War I, things changed. More women entered the workforce. The rise of the middle class meant more women could afford independence. Prostitution became less common, and escorting became more stigmatized. By the 1950s, the term ‘escort’ was almost taboo. If you were seen with one, you risked your reputation.
But demand never disappeared. In the 1970s, a quiet shift began. London’s nightlife exploded. Nightclubs, jazz bars, and private parties created a new kind of client: not just wealthy men, but executives, actors, diplomats. These clients didn’t want sex-they wanted elegance. Someone to talk to at a dinner party. Someone who knew how to dress, how to listen, how to make them feel important.
This was the birth of the modern ‘high-end escort.’ No longer just survival work, it became a service industry. Women started advertising in magazines like Queen and Harper’s Bazaar. They hired photographers. They learned etiquette. Some even had university degrees. The price jumped to £100 an hour. By 1980, a top escort in London could earn £5,000 a month-more than a university professor.
The Internet Revolution: From Phone Books to Apps
The real turning point came in 2001. A man in his 40s, tired of paying £200 for a night out with a woman who didn’t speak English, started a simple website: LondonCompanions.co.uk. He listed five women. Photos. Rates. Availability. No phone calls. No intermediaries. Within six months, it had 20,000 visitors a month.
By 2008, dozens of similar sites popped up. Clients could filter by language, age, appearance, interests. Escorts could set their own hours, prices, and boundaries. No more pimps. No more landlords taking half their earnings. For the first time, women controlled their own business.
Then came smartphones. Apps like Arrive, EscortsUK, and LondonLadies made booking faster than ordering a taxi. Profiles included videos, verified reviews, and even personality quizzes. Clients could see if a companion liked jazz, hated small talk, or had a degree in art history. Escorts began branding themselves like influencers-Instagram, TikTok, personal blogs. One escort in Notting Hill built a following of 80,000 by posting about her favorite books and café culture. She never showed her face. She didn’t need to.
Today’s Industry: Professionalism, Regulation, and Risk
Today, London’s escort industry is a multi-million-pound sector. Estimates suggest 10,000 to 15,000 women work in the city as independent escorts. Most are over 25. Most have degrees. Many have full-time careers in marketing, design, or tech and work evenings only. The average hourly rate? £150 to £300. Top-tier escorts charge £800 or more.
Regulation? There isn’t any. Prostitution itself isn’t illegal in the UK-only soliciting in public, running brothels, or pimping. So escorts operate as freelancers. They pay taxes. They have bank accounts. Some even have accountants. A 2023 survey by the London Sex Workers’ Collective found that 72% of respondents had health insurance, 61% had savings accounts, and 43% had invested in property.
But the risks haven’t disappeared. Scammers still pose as clients. Some men refuse to pay. Others send threats. Police still raid apartments under ‘public nuisance’ laws. In 2024, a high-profile escort in Chelsea was arrested after a client reported her for ‘obscene communication’-even though they’d both agreed to the terms. The charges were dropped, but her profile was taken down from every site.
Who Are the Clients Now?
It’s not just older men anymore. A 2024 study by the Centre for Urban Studies found that 38% of clients are under 35. Many are single professionals working long hours. Others are divorced men, expats, or men from countries where dating is harder. One client, a software engineer from Singapore, told a journalist: ‘I don’t need a girlfriend. I need someone who knows how to make me laugh after a 16-hour workday. That’s not something you find on Tinder.’
Women clients? They exist. Not many-but enough to matter. A small but growing number of women hire male escorts for companionship, travel, or emotional support. One woman in her late 30s, a lawyer in the City, said: ‘I don’t need sex. I need someone who doesn’t ask me about my career or expect me to be perfect. He just listens.’
The Future: AI, Privacy, and the Fight for Legitimacy
What’s next? AI chatbots are already being used by some agencies to screen clients. Voice filters help escorts hide their identity during calls. Blockchain-based payment systems are being tested to ensure anonymity and reduce fraud.
But the biggest battle isn’t technology-it’s perception. In 2025, a group of London escorts launched a campaign called ‘Companions, Not Criminals.’ They held public talks at libraries, wrote op-eds in The Guardian, and even partnered with a university to host a panel on ‘Sex Work as Labor.’
Slowly, attitudes are shifting. In 2023, the London Assembly passed a motion to decriminalize indoor sex work. It didn’t pass, but it was debated in Parliament for the first time in 40 years. The argument? ‘If we treat this as a labor issue, not a moral one, we can protect people instead of punishing them.’
London’s escort industry has come a long way from the gas lamps of Victorian London. It’s no longer hidden. It’s not glorified. But it’s real. And for thousands of women, it’s not just a job-it’s a way to control their lives in a city that rarely gives them that power.
Is escorting legal in London?
Yes, but with limits. It’s not illegal to sell sexual services in private between consenting adults. However, soliciting in public, running a brothel, or pimping someone else is against the law. Most modern escorts work independently from their own homes or rented rooms, staying within legal boundaries.
How much do escorts in London earn today?
Earnings vary widely. Entry-level escorts typically charge £100-£150 per hour. Mid-tier professionals make £200-£300. Top-tier escorts with strong branding, experience, or niche appeal can charge £500-£1,000 per hour. Some offer overnight stays or travel packages that bring in £3,000-£8,000 per week.
Are escort services only for men?
No. While the majority of clients are men, there’s a growing number of women hiring male escorts-often for companionship, travel, or emotional support. Some clients seek non-sexual interaction: someone to attend events with, talk to after a long day, or simply be present with. The industry is slowly becoming more inclusive.
Do escorts in London have other jobs?
Yes. Many escorts work part-time or only during evenings and weekends. A 2024 survey found that 68% of London escorts have another career-in tech, design, education, or the arts. For many, escorting is supplemental income, not their only source of livelihood.
How do clients find escorts today?
Most use dedicated websites or apps like EscortsUK, Arrive, or LondonLadies. These platforms allow clients to browse profiles, read reviews, and book directly. Social media, especially Instagram and Twitter, is also used for discreet promotion. Word-of-mouth referrals still play a role among long-term clients.
What’s the biggest change in the industry over the last 20 years?
The shift from exploitation to autonomy. Twenty years ago, many escorts worked under pimps or agencies that took 50-80% of earnings. Today, most are independent contractors. They set their own rates, choose their clients, and manage their own safety. Technology gave them control-and that’s changed everything.
