John Whaite feared he’d lose daytime TV career over OnlyFans account: ‘I regret it deeply’

TV chef John Whaite has spoken of the “deep regret” he felt after coming away from adult platform OnlyFans. 

In 2022, the Strictly Come Dancing star joined the over-18s social media site. At the time, he said this was a “method of control” over his content. 

Speaking to Attitude ahead of the release of his memoir Dancing On Eggshells, John spoke out on why he walked away from the platform just a couple of months later. 

The Great British Bake Off winner recalled setting up an account while “drunk on holiday”, despite concerns from his partner Paul it was “not worth it.”

“The high of Strictly was crashing down… a few of the bits of work didn’t come to fruition” – John Whaite

“After Strictly, I got a part in the West End for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella. That was taken away because the show was cancelled. This, plus the high of Strictly was crashing down. A few of the bits of work didn’t come to fruition, I felt like I was out at sea. 

“I got drunk on holiday, and I thought, ‘Well, I’m gonna control my career this way, I’m gonna go down this route.

“My partner said, ‘Oh, it’s not worth it.’ But it’s my life, not his, and he would never try and control me,” he shared. 

Before long, the money started “rolling in” for John. He continued: “I made a lot of money on OnlyFans. It’s a very lucrative platform.”

However, he realised after a while that being on the platform didn’t align with his integrity.

This, he says, is one of the “biggest themes” of his memoir. 

“I felt like it wasn’t right”

“Only Fans is a good demonstration for me that while I will support sex workers until the cows come home – and support everyone’s rights to be open and true and live their sexual life if they want to do that for profit – it didn’t align with who I was on television. 

“I felt like it wasn’t right.”

At the time, he told fans in a statement he decided to close his account after reports alleged users of the platform were “able to exploit young children.”

“While the claims are yet to be proven/refuted, I cannot morally continue to use a platform that is subject to such serious allegations,” John wrote in a statement last year.

OnlyFans has previously commented that it uses “state of the art technology and human monitoring” to stop under 18s being able to share content.  

He shared with us: “I realised immediately that was my ultimate reason [to leave the platform]. 

“I couldn’t profit from a sexualised facade of myself if there were potentially kids being exploited. That is a big no, so I just came off. 

“The more I was on it, the more money I was making, the more I was willing to give more”

“I’m so glad that I did, because I think I could have lost my daytime TV career,” John remarked.

He felt going onto OnlyFans “extended boundaries” which could have put his TV gigs at risk.

“The more I was on it, the more money I was making, the more I was willing to give more. I had to be in control of that behaviour and say, ‘Nope, stop this now, before it goes too far’.”

John added: “I regret it deeply.”

He also has doubts over he would ever be able to return to his planned career in law pre Bake Off.

“If I ever wanted to go back to law, for example, I don’t think the profession would take me seriously now. 

“Why should it? I have to live with the consequences of my actions,” he concluded. 

Dancing On Eggshells: Kitchen, ballroom & the messy inbetween is out now.