Playboy Bunny reveals what it’s REALLY like to work at Hugh Hefner’s London club, from £100k tips to partying with Kate Moss

ENDLESS champagne corks popping, plush velvet sofas and dozens of ‘bunnies’ walking round in waist-cinching, cleavage-enhancing corsets… welcome to London’s exclusive Playboy Club.

Hugh Hefner’s hedonistic Mayfair haven has been running since 2011, replacing the original venue that closed down in 1981 after the gaming authorities revoked its license.

And the woman keeping things under control is Head Bunny Natalie Deegan, 29.

Bored of her job in IT marketing, the glamorous 29-year-old moved from her home town of Coventry to London six years ago.

She worked her way up from waitress to boss of the hutch, and now looks after 67 bunnies.

The club, which compromises a bar, restaurant and casino, is open 24 hours a day, 364 days a year – “we only close on Christmas Day” - and its popularity isn't waning.

The Playboy clientele ranges from women enjoying a cocktail before a night out to Chinese and Middle Eastern millionaires, plus A-list stars.

“We’ve hosted Bruno Mars, Snoop Dogg, Drake, Justin Bieber, Kate Moss, One Direction, Liam Gallagher…” Natalie told The Sun Online.

“We’ve got some celebrity clients but I don’t think I’m allowed to name them.

“A lot of our clients come with their wives for dinner. Women are worse than men because they’re so touchy-feely!

"They want to try the ears and tail on. People expect it to be more male-orientated.”

But the bunnies are well rewarded when they’ve given good service. “We’ve had some really big tips – the biggest I’ve ever seen was £100,000,” Natalie said.

“It’s put in a tip pool and we all share it. In the casino people place million pound bets. I’ve seen all sorts. People give £5, £1,000 and £20,000.”

As well as the hiring and firing of the bunnies, Natalie also has a maternal role.

“I’m their go-to if they have any work issues, boyfriend dramas, general life problems…. I’m basically an agony aunt,” she told The Sun Online.

But she's far from the first glamorous woman to have taken on the challenging role.

Angie Best, 65, worked as a ‘Bunny Mother’ in the ‘70s before her marriage to football legend, George Best.

Her role was to ensure all the girls’ ears, tails and make-up was in check before they stepped onto the floor.

“George and I had split up at the time - he was naughty so I left him. I walked straight into the Playboy Club and said, ‘I want to be a bunny’,” she told The Sun Online.

“They loved the publicity and I worked on the casino reception.  It was fabulous. You felt so special.

"You never knew who was coming in the door. It’s a great job to have. It’s old-fashioned glamour.”

Successor Natalie explained there are three main roles for bunnies: “The bunny valets – they’re the girls in red – are waitresses. They serve drinks, food and do cocktail masterclasses.".

“Then the croupiers, clad in black, deal on the black jack and roulette tables.  They’re our mathematicians – they need to know their 11, 17 and 35 times tables off by heart.

“And finally we have the bunny VIP hosts, who are in charge of the guest list and do tours of the club.”

Unlike Angie, whose celebrity helped her “sail into the top job”; potential bunnies now have to go through a strict casting process.

Natalie said: “You have to get up in front of the room and talk about yourself. Then we play a game where you say three things about yourself, two are true and one is a lie.

“We also do group tasks to see how they work as a team, who’s the loudest and who can take criticism. We need girls that will work well together.”

The girls range from petite to curvy, blonde to brunette but all possess the famous Playboy “girl next door” look.

Tattoos and piercings are allowed but they must be hidden when in the costume.

Natalie says all the bunnies need one key personality trait.

“Some girls are really outgoing, others are shy but they all must be able to build rapport,” she said. “You need to be able to get on with other people quite quickly.”

The famous bunny costumes are created by the in-house seamstress, Feyi. She creates themed outfits for special events, such as pink in October for Breast Cancer Awareness.

Natalie said: “Each costume is made especially for you. The seamstress will give you whatever you want – boobs, a small waist, to look curvy. She’s crazy.”

Angie, who has donned her costume again to celebrate her return as Bunny Mother, joked Feyi is a “masochist”.

“For this old tart, it’s absolutely hard work,” she joked. “When you’re younger it’s okay. Feryi can get a waist and a cleavage out of anybody.”

Natalie says wardrobe mishaps are rare – “we usually just forget to put our ears or tail on” – but her costume did once split up the side when a client made her laugh.

While joking with customers is allowed, the girls can’t flirt or sit at their tables. “We can have a laugh but we wouldn’t meet clients out of work or anything like that,” she said.

“Swearing is also a big no-no.  The casino has a lot of million pound players. You need to read people.”

Angie agreed: “Great tippers. Leaving the casino reception, if they’d won, they’d just give you a handful of notes. Hundreds of pounds. It was great.”

Both Angie and Natalie believe the biggest misconception about the club is that it’s “seedy”.

Angie said: “It’s not pole dancing. They’re very respectable, beautiful girls. There’s nothing seedy about it. I love it.”

Natalie added: “When people come in here I don’t think they expect the girls to be so friendly. They’re all so nice.”

Angie also slammed claims the club is outdated and anti-feminist. “On the contrary babe, how magnificent is it that you can be a woman who can make herself look glamorous without looking tarty?” she said.

“If you want to find fault with this, you’ll find fault with anything.”

Natalie has never met Hugh Hefner but has visited the mansion.

His son Cooper has visited London a few times. “He’s lovely. He’s really into the bunnies and making sure we’re okay,” she said.

Meanwhile, Hugh Hefner's Playboy Bunny Ranch has sold for £12.6 million.

And, a Playboy model has donned a dress made of money on the New York subway.