Belle du Jour's identity finally revealed

The mystery as to who's behind Belle du Jour has now been solved - dispelling numerous rumours and beliefs over the past few years that the blogging call girl is not real.

Dr Brooke Magnanti, 34, confessed to penning the memoirs to Sunday Times columnist India Knight, admitting, '"I couldn't even go to my own book launch party",

According to the Guardian Dr Magnanti, a Bristol-based cancer specialist, turned to work as a £300-an-hour escort during her PhD thesis. Her anonymous blog about her exploits gained thousands of followers worldwide, and was later adapted into a book and television series.

Dr Magnanti admits that her secret life as Belle began in 2003. She states: I was getting ready to submit my thesis. I saved up a bit of money. I thought, I'll just move to London, because that's where the jobs are, and I'll see what happens.

"I couldn't find a professional job in my chosen field because I didn't have my PhD yet. I didn't have a lot of spare time on my hands because I was still making corrections and preparing for the viva and I got through my savings a lot faster than I thought I would."

"I did have another job at one point, as a computer programmer, but I kept up with my other work because it was so much more enjoyable."

So, the secret's out - and we can finally see the face behind Belle du Jour. What are your thoughts?