Pick Me Up! Special – September 2019

Sheasked

metotake

someracy

photosof

her

HER

wanted our kids to be themselves

and be happy.

Whether our daughters loved

girls or boys, it didn’t matter.

I was just glad she felt

comfortable enough to tell us.

Back home, Beth was 19 and

working at M&S when she got a call

from a lads’ mag, Zoo.

They’d found her through the

KFC documentary.

‘We’d love you to do a shoot,’

they asked her.

She was a slender, beautiful

young woman, so I wasn’t surprised

they wanted to photograph her.

I saw the way people looked at

her – men would be drooling at her

feet, and I didn’t want them to see

my girl in her underwear, or worse,

stark naked!

‘Absolutely not!’ I gasped.

Beth was used to folding granny

knickers in M&S, not parading

around in her own.

But the more I thought about it,

the sillier I felt.

Sure, those lads’ mags shoots

were saucy, but you could see more

on the beach...

I discussed it with Ian.

‘I’m fine with it, as long as I don’t

have to see the photos,’ he said.

We sat Beth down one night and

gave her our blessing.

‘Just don’t get your boobs out!’ I

told her. ‘And no taking your

knickers off!’

Ian gave Beth a lift to the

magazine offices, and she came

back on cloud nine.

She’d had an assistant for the day,

a makeup artist and a hairdresser,

and everyone had been lovely.

All that attention made her so

happy, and I knew we’d made the

right decision letting her go.

I was eager to look at the photos

when the magazine came out.

The pics of Beth in red lingerie

were lovely and tasteful.

Even Beth’s grandmothers

happily bought copies.

But not everyone was as

accepting as we were.

‘My husband would never let our

daughter do that,’ a colleague said.

‘Luckily for Beth, her dad isn’t a

control freak,’ I spat back.

Soon after, Beth came to me with

her next career plan.

‘Mum, I’m going to start

webcamming,’ she announced.

‘I’ll be posing in my knickers

online for men,’ she explained.

‘It’s perfectly safe, and I’m not

meeting anyone,’ Beth reassured.

I was a little taken aback.

But I would rather be in the know

than her do it in secret.

Ian and I didn’t

want to push Beth

away – she was an

adult now, and she

could make her own

decisions... and her

own mistakes.

‘We’ll support

you,’ I told her.

‘I need to take

some photographs to

post online,’ she said, handing me

her phone.

‘Will you take them, Mum?’ she

asked me.

It was like taking photos of her in

a bikini.

I snapped about 10 pics and

handed her back the phone.

She wasn’t lounging about with

her legs open, just standing in our

living room in her underwear.

I tried not to think about all the

faceless men getting pleasure out of

thephotos.

Afterthat,Bethwas

soonmakingenough

moneyto moveout,and

gotherfriendsto takeher

picsinsteadof me.

Overtime,Bethtold

meaboutthenextstep

she’dtaken.

‘Everyone’sseenmein

myknickers,Mum,’she

explained.‘IfI don’tdomore,

they’llgoelsewhere.’

She’ddoneawaywiththeundies.

Thistimemyreservations

screamed– mylittlegirlwasnaked

ontheinternet.

‘No,that’snotright,’I insisted.

I feltextremelyuncomfortable

imaginingheronline,moaningto

strangemen.

‘Mum,I’mgay.It’s

justacting,’shesaid.

‘I usesextoysbehind

a camera,I’mnot

actuallyhavingsexwith

anyof them.’

‘I’mgladyoucanbe

honestwithme,’I said.

‘I’monly 23 andI’m

onlygoingto bethis

sexyfora while,so I mayas well

makesomemoneyoutof it,’she

saidconfidently.

I decidedto livewiththeidea

untilI gotusedto it.

Bethwasona sitecalledOnly

Fans, wherememberspaid£12a

monthforaccessto herphotos.

Shesoonhadnearly1,000

subscribers,meaningshewas

makingover£10,000a month.

She’searningso muchmoney

andsavingforherfuture.Shenow

paysher£1,500monthlyrentona

four-bedhouseandis savingto buy

a homeof herownoutright,as she

can’tgeta mortgagewiththework

shedoes.

IanandI choosenotto askhertoo

manyquestionsaboutherwork.

Bethis so muchmorethanherjob

• she’scaringandbubblyandkind.
  Sherunsa websitecalled
  AnonymousAdviceByBeth.com,
  wheresheoffersfreeadviceand
  supportto anyonethatneedsit.
  She’sevensavedtwopeople
  fromsuicide.
  In hersparetime,shemeditates
  andgoesforcountrywalks.
  Shedoesn’thavea normalnine-
  to-fivejob,butsheis completely
  normalliketherestof us.
  I wouldneverjudgeBethforher
  job,andI hopenooneelsewould.
  I’mproudof herandgladthatshe
  trustsus to supportherandtellus the
  truthaboutherwork.
  Allmumswantthebestfortheir
  kids,butsometimeswedon’t
  alwaysknowbest.
  I usedto becompletelyagainst
  whatBethdoesnow,butI’velearnt
  thatit’sherlifeto live,andas her
  mum,I’mgoingto supporther
  everystepof theway.

REAL LIFE

I’m just happy

that she can be

honest with me

Beth works hard

to make a living