Her nom de plume was Belle de Jour and she wrote a blog called "Diary of a London Call Girl."

Millions have read her online diary and her secret life inspired a British television show. Her identity remained unknown until this past weekend, when her name was revealed in the Times of London.

She is Dr. Brooke Magnanti, 34, a cancer researcher in Bristol, England, who hails from Clearwater. According to stories published in Great Britain, Magnanti graduated from Clearwater Central Catholic High School.

As it happens, on Jan. 31, 1992, a St. Petersburg Times story mentioned a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist named Brooke Magnanti.

****

Here's a look at what some other sites have to say about Magnanti:

SunSentinel's FloriDuh: She's a call girl. She's famous. And she's from Clearwater

Hollywood Jew: Belle du Jour —- Nice Jewish Girl

Telegraph: Belle de Jour says her mother supports her

TimesOnline: I’m Belle de Jour

IOL: Belle de Jour is a high-flying academic