A woman has given up a promising career as a neuroscientist to become a pole dancer and stripper – now earning more than her wealthy parents.
Mercedes Valentine, 21, from Brighton, has swapped lab coat uniforms for cheeky underwear – ranking in the top 0.1% of creators on adult content site OnlyF.
After being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome at age 15, she was confined to a wheelchair and had to relearn how to walk.
After two years of grueling physical therapy, Mercedes was on the move again, ready to follow in the footsteps of her doctor parents with a degree in neuroscience.
But thanks to her newfound energy, she joined the college gym and signed up for weekly pole dancing lessons.
When she finished college, a friend in pole dancing class suggested she try stripping at a local bar – and Mercedes never looked back.
Since breaking into the world of striptease and OnlyF – where she earns up to £1,000 a night – Mercedes now earns more than her parents’ combined £200,000.
“I don’t regret it, I absolutely love it,” said Mercedes, who has 134,000 Instagram followers (@mercedesthedancerxo).
“I think at first they were shocked that I wasn’t following the path they had planned for me.
“We’re a family of doctors and my sister is a lawyer, so it’s a little bit different, but they’re used to it now and they’re really supportive.”
Mercedes started stripping in January 2020 and discovered she was born.
Then and now. Mercedes’ parents, both doctors, knew what she was doing, but her father couldn’t bring himself to say pole dancing and chose “pole gymnastics” instead.
But while enjoying her job, she admits to having “strange encounters”.
She said: “There was this couple at one point and the guy seemed very quiet and shy.
“I tried to get him out of the shell, ran a little closer and started talking to him.
He tried to whisper in my ear, but I really couldn’t hear him.
“When I turned around, he managed to push his nose up my ass. It was really weird, I didn’t expect it.
