Bella Daggett, a 23-year-old from Leeds who spent nearly a year in a Dubai prison on drug-related charges, has changed careers and now sells explicit photographs and videos through adult subscription services.
Daggett was detained in March 2025 during a drugs raid at premises where she was staying, just weeks after moving to the Gulf state for a recruitment role. The charges she faced were never made public by authorities in the United Arab Emirates.
Detention and Return to the UK
During her time in prison, Daggett went without bathing for a month and wore the same clothes for three months. Her family maintained her innocence, insisting she had fallen in with the wrong crowd.
Her grandmother, Heather Smith, said at the time: "Bella has been locked up because she was in the wrong company. Wrong place, wrong time. Wrong boyfriend. She was arrested with a lad that was not her boyfriend, who she was staying with because things had fallen through with another house."
Daggett flew back to Yorkshire in March, almost a year to the day of her arrest, after the accusations were dismissed.
New Career in Adult Content
Since returning, Daggett has abandoned traditional office work. On Fansly, an adult platform similar to OnlyFans, she charges subscribers £7.40 monthly for access to her lingerie material.
She tells prospective subscribers: "Come chat, have some fun and get to know me. I promise you won't be disappointed." Her profile description reads: "A little cheeky, a little playful, and 100% unforgettable. Slide into my DMs and let's see what happens."
Using a different alias, Daggett has also appeared on adult webcam platform Stripchat, where performers broadcast live material to viewers who can provide financial tips. She has built a following, with one fan declaring her "the best model on here."
Reflection on the Ordeal
Daggett, who previously worked as a freelance beautician and co-ran a family-operated modelling agency, remains wary about discussing her experiences publicly due to the UAE's stringent laws against criticism of the state.
In September, she told her 22,000 Instagram followers: "A year ago, I was in the darkest place of my life. Looking back at everything I'm so proud of how far I've come. So grateful for where I am now, the people around me, and everything life has brought me since then. Here's to happier days, new memories and so much more to come."
