From porn to kink, here’s what English audiences are into…
British people are notorious for prudishness: of shying away at any mention of sex, preferring to stay fully buttoned up, and generally avoiding being open about their desires.
Whereas countries like Germany and Finland encourage a naked sauna culture which encourages greater comfort around nude bodies, or nations like France teach topics of sexual satisfaction as part of the national curriculum, the UK supposedly makes sexual repression an art. But is there any truth in this stereotype?
Well, if we look at the data – and speak to sex workers – we can build a more comprehensive picture of what’s really going on. Below, Etaira gets to the bottom of England’s sexual desires across porn, content creation and much more…
Sex work
Despite the UK’s reputation for sexual prudishness, there’s plenty of sex going on behind the scenes. Case-in-point: sex work in the UK has emerged as a major industry.
While not all workers are making big money, there’s some serious cash in the industry. Statistics from the Office for National Statistics suggest that the UK sex work industry has generated over 6.4 billion in 2024 and current estimates suggest there are around 105,000 sex workers in the UK.
But what is the sex work experience like in the UK versus other countries in Europe?
Well, in an appearance on Lucy Huxley’s podcast The Whore’s Bedroom, dominatrix Miss May got into this topic – and discussed the differences between German and UK clients. Based in the UK but hailing from Germany, Miss May has worked in both countries and has a unique insight into what audiences want in these locations.
One of the biggest differences in the sex work experience across the UK, as opposed to other countries, is that brothels are banned in the UK. This means that sex workers are more likely to see clients one-on-one, rather than in a studio setting.
Sex work laws are different. In Germany, sex work is fully legalised and you have to apply for the Prostitute Protection Pass if you start in a studio. If you work in a studio, the studio advertises you, so the beginnings are much easier, Miss May explained.
In London you’re all out for yourself [because brothels are illegal], and working in a dungeon you have to rent privately and double sessions are basically illegal. Being isolated and working alone in London is much harder and there’s not the same support, she added.
In terms of the differences Miss May has seen in terms of client preferences, she doesn’t mince her words. I think Germans are a bit filthier, a bit dirtier, in the best way, she revealed. However, sometimes, British clients are more tame: Two months ago [in the UK] I had two subs come to me and say I was ‘too harsh’.
So we’re not beating those prude accusations, then!
LGBT
When it comes to the queer community, the UK is loud and proud!
There’s a whopping 2.1 million people (3.8% of the UK household population) who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual according to the UK Office of National Statistics.
In response to the data, which showed an uptick in LGB-identifying young people, the CEO of queer charity Stonewall said: The ONS statistics out today are a timely reminder that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people are a growing part of UK society, with more LGB young people than ever before.
With an ever-growing queer community, the UK culture has evolved to provide spaces for creative expression and sexual experimentation. Apps like Grindr and Feeld allow the sexually curious to meet one another in real life, while sex parties and queer club nights create an atmosphere of liberation and play.
Many LGBT men are also partaking in a revival of cruising (outdoor sex) thanks to apps and platforms like Sniffies, which allow you to find cruising hotspots.
Porn
Onto the topic of porn: what are the most common fantasies across the UK when it comes to adult content?
Before we get into the nitty gritty, it’s worth noting that this year has seen major changes to porn in the UK. This includes the Online Safety Act banning porn for under-18s, as well as the proposed changes in the Crime and Policing Bill, which would ban choking porn, incest porn, and ‘barely legal’ porn.
Undoubtedly, porn is going to change majorly in the UK, but what are the porn genres currently riding high? According to the last PornHub report, which revealed the contents of everyone’s incognito tabs in 2025, the UK’s top porn searches were anything but predictable.
The number one search was ‘milf’, short for “mum I’d like to fuck”. This reflects a growing preference for mature women and the increased cultural visibility of the ‘mommy kink’; ie, the counterpart to the ‘daddy kink’ and a predilection for nurturing women. Other top searches included: ‘lesbian’, ‘threesome’, ‘anal’, ‘massage’, ‘pov’, ‘creampie’ and ‘face sitting’.
Interestingly, when we get deeper into the data, there are a few standout terms that reveal some unique facets of the UK sexual character. For example, among the ‘Trending Searches’ is ‘outdoor anal’: combining anal with the UK’s penchant for outdoor sex. Famously, the UK is known for ‘dogging’, a type of group sex where individuals meet up to have sex (or watch others do so) al fresco.
We can also see that the search term ‘fetish’ is 115% more popular in the UK when compared to other countries in the world. The UK has a long-running fetish culture which was brought into the mainstream by the designer and rubberist John Sutcliffe, who was obsessed with leather, rubber, and vinyl and created the magazine AtomAge.
Who knew data could be so sexy, right?
Adult entertainment venues
What about other areas of the erotic industries, like massage parlous?
Well, since brothels are illegal in the UK, erotic massage parlours are not as widely available as in other countries. However, there are still plenty of other sexual entertainment venues to enjoy which are frequented across the UK.
This includes lap dancing clubs, strip clubs, and gentleman’s clubs. There are some well-known chains with multiple venues, such as Secrets, however visitors should be aware that sexual entertainment venues are subject to strict licensing requirements that might vary from council to council. For example, guests are not allowed to touch dancers, and in some councils dancers wouldn’t be able to simulate masturbation or touch their breasts during a performance.
However, how many of us are going to strip clubs in the UK? And where are there the most strip clubs in the UK? Well, when it comes to stag dos, probably the best time to go to a gentleman’s club, a 2015 study showed that 50% of UK men would ‘comfortably’ go to a strip club. Data from the same year also pointed to an interesting fact: that London has far less strip clubs per capita when compared to regions like Berkshire and Lancashire.
Alongside lapdancing clubs, the UK also has a number of sex clubs, also known as swingers’ clubs. These are venues where no money exchanges hands, and where guests can engage in sexual activities like orgies, swinging/partner swaps, and kink with one another. These are often low-profile establishments, and might have a ‘playroom’ for sex, as well as a dancefloor.
Porn cinemas, however, are a bit of a dying breed and there’s barely any left in the UK: one of the remaining venues is Empire Cinema in Huddersfield. I’ve actually visited this location, and it’s worth noting that it’s mostly designed for couples and single men, and single women won’t be admitted.
Perhaps the strict requirements for sexual entertainment venues is why the UK is so partial to dogging, then?
Adult content creation
Famously, the UK is a major innovator in the world of adult content creation. The world’s best-known adult content creation platform, OnlyFans, was created by a UK company and there are major home-grown, British, adult content creators.
The antics of adult content creators like Lily Phillips and Bonnie Blue (who famously slept with 100 men, and 1001 men, respectively) have become world-famous, shattering the idea that British women are prim, proper, and repressed.
OnlyFans doesn’t provide genre-based data, however, consulting other platforms can provide plenty of insight into what UK fans want from adult content creators. On that note: Clips4Sale (C4S) is a leading fetish site, and has graciously shared exclusive data with Etaira.
"If there's one defining feature in the UK market, it's the love of large, powerful women. While this is a common fantasy worldwide, there's a particular fondness of female dominant fetishes in the UK. Giantess is the most searched for fetish, and related fetishes like vore – being consumed by a giantess — and growth fantasies aren't far behind,” explains Avery Martin at C4S.
The overarching theme is female dominance: “In popular culture, kink and fetish are often portrayed with submissive females, when female domination is what really drives sales, especially in the UK. Men want to worship women, they want to submit to women, they want to be overpowered by women. It's taboo, which is part of what makes it so powerful."
So, without further ado, here are the most-searched fetishes in the UK:
1. Giantess
2. Tickling
3. Wrestling
4. Vore
5. Latex
6. Growth
7. Facesitting
8. Smoking
9. Fart
10. BBW/SSBBW
Some of these terms might need explaining like vore (a fetish for being eaten alive) and BBW/SSBBW (big beautiful women/ super-size big beautiful women) but many of them are household names. However, a preference for dominant women definitely seems to be a big part of the UK adult content creation scene.
Local differences
Often, when people think of the UK, they think of London. However, there’s much more to Britain – and its sexual subculture – than its capital. Across all of the regions, there are specific kinks and preferences brewing. Even if you’re not from the biggest town, there’s a chance you’re from the most sexually open one.
When we look across the UK, there are some surprising revelations. For example, Manchester, is supposedly the kinkiest place in the UK based on internet searches, with one in 71 residents making X-rated search enquiries each month.
Then, there’s the fact that Huddersfield (incidentally the location of one of the last porn cinemas in the UK) happens to be the most popular location for dogging in the UK, and the region of Yorkshire is said to have 312 popular dogging locations.
If you’re a fan of sex toys, you might be interested to discover that the UK’s biggest sex toy warehouse is actually in Bath, and belongs to the online retailer Lovehoney which is headquartered in the former spa town and was founded in 2002.
Another surprising location for the sexually adventurous is Margate, a seaside town with a population of 60,000 in the South of England, which has been dubbed the English “polyamory capital” in the press and is known for its LGBT-friendly ethos.
See, there’s something for everyone and somewhere for everything!