They've got the women, money and hedonistic lifestyle. So you might think getting paid to entertain the female sex is a dream job. But is it? ZOO investigates.

Meet James. He's an escort. A player. A smooth talker. A bloody lucky bloke some might say.

He works for Platinum Select an online agency that caters for women that want a man in their life – for the right price, and often only for a few hours. And contray to the assumption only female companionship is sought after, there is indeed "a very healthy demand" for men. So much so that James attracts new, sex crazed clients every week and is treated like a king by almost every single one of them.

"Escorting is a strange but very rewarding existence", he says. "I've been to the best hotels, eaten the best food and sipped the best champagne. I've been given watches, suits, aftershave. I've been skiing in Italy and visited Marbella, Beverley Hills and Indonesia. Sometimes you don't even have to travel with them. They'll pay for your ticket and meet you the other side".

Of course such experiences don't come easy. An escort provides a service, and for that to be re-ordered you need to put in a decent shift – both in and out of the sack.

"Women want more for their money," explains James. "You need to kiss, cuddle and talk for a long time. It can be tiring and you're often dreading it. Or you can prolong the evening and secure an overnight stay. That radically increases the fee. The key is getting regulars. You want someone who knows the score and wont surprise you."

Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. During his career, James ahs turned women down because "even with Viagra" he simply couldn't do the deed. "I met a rather large, aging lady and ended up walking out after 45 minutes," he recalls. "I said, 'I'm sorry, I don't want to do this' and gave her her money back."

Not that Viagra is always ineffective, though.

For some of the women James has bedded, it almost became a necessity. An addiction, even.

"At the height of my career, I was flat out and needed it," he says. "I was going ballistic. I'd have one client in the morning, one in the afternoon and sometimes two in the evening. If all four wanted to have sex it was hard going.

"You can get a bit messed up, and its tough on your private life. I even turned to drink just to help me get through the day – and the next client."

As it turns outn not all clients do want sex. In fact, James' introduction to the game was quite the opposite. "She needed companionship while she visited her grandfather in hospital. Because of his illness he couldn't really talk, so I kept her company for a couple of hours a day. I thought 'This is easy money! I want more."

Others – often successful businesswomen too busy to meet outside of work – simply want a man on their arm at a dinner dance. James has even met a client at the cinema, watched the movie with them then left.

Then, there are the clients who just want to get freaky. "I was asked to get on all fours and pant like a dog ," he says. "I've had to wear a gimp mask and seen stuff I'd rather not see, like when a female escort asked me to accompany her to see a client – who turned out to be a guy! Threesomes are commonplace."

And finally the all-important question; how much are women prepared to pay for this service? "You don't find many rich escorts, " James admits "If you're flat out, you can make thousands. I've bought several houses from this. My rates vary from £150-£200 an hour. Some clients will try to barter, some will give you tips. Some might chuck a grand at you – and I doubt many men would complain about that…"

James has been in the game for more than 10 years, Here's his checklist to making it big

"You might want to leave in the morning, but your client will want entertaining, so decent pillow talk is a must."

'You need to have the right equipment and you have to know what to do with it, or else you wont be asked back."

"Early on, I fell for a client. She lobbed me into touch and I learned my lesson – don't get emotionally involved."

"Expect the unexpected. Some women are into stuff you wouldn't believe. If you don't like them it can be horrendous."

"Women will search to find the right man so you've got a chance. But hundreds of guys want to do it. You might get one job and never work again."