I DIDN'T feel as though I actually had to watch last night's Secret Diary of a Call Girl to know what the show was about, I've read so many interviews about it with Billie Piper.

For the last few weeks, bigmouth Billie could be seen lounging saucily across the cover of every magazine going dressed as a strumpet adorned with feathers and corsetry.

We heard all about her fears of being labelled "easy" for taking on the part, how she researched the role of Belle de Jour by meeting with the real-life woman behind the books, and how she got in shape for the nude scenes.

As if that wasn't enough the nationals got very excited when they managed to get their grubby little hands of some stills of a threesome from the series.

So did the opening episode live up to the hype?

Yes and no.

It certainly opened with a bang when the confident young woman that is Belle strode up to the screen and announced: "The first thing you should know about me is that I am a whore".

But I couldn't help feeling that it rather over-glamourised the job choice: plenty of money, pleasant clients, designer clothes. No mention of the down side of the job like, er, the possibility of getting murdered or beaten up.

I'm sure it'll be popular though - even if just for the scenes where Billie gets her kit off.