Meet the woman who hugs strangers for £70 an hour

Petra Milatova had always been a hugger – so much so that she even gave cuddles out instead of Christmas cards over the festive season.

So when the 42-year-old came across a video of a ‘cuddle session’ on Facebook, she wondered whether she had stumbled upon her dream job.

A cuddle session is a consensual, platonic and therapeutic experience where someone can receive physical contact from a trained professional cuddler.

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Sessions include a variety of activities ranging from holding hands, cuddling, gently stroking faces, playing with hair and eye gazing.

Eager to launch her cuddling career, Petra decided to research the role before signing up to a professional cuddling training course. The programme covered cuddling techniques, body language awareness and how to set boundaries with clients.

Once qualified, the 42-year-old set up a website and advertised her services on cuddle dating platforms – and it wasn’t long until she received her first booking.

“I had heard about professional cuddling before,” Petra told the Manchester Evening News. “I saw a video on Facebook and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is my thing,’ I liked it straight away.”

The former healthcare assistant, who charges £70 an hour, always video calls her client ahead of their session so she can find out more about them.

This allows Petra to explain what the session will include and to also make sure they aren’t looking for “anything extra”.

“I always have a video call with the client explaining what the session will be about,” she said. “If they’re looking for something else, I will send them to an adult site. It’s warm, platonic and nurturing touch only.”

Petra, who became a professional cuddler in 2017, can recall holding her first session in a hotel room. The client wanted to watch a film and have someone to hold at the same time.

“Every session is different,” Petra said. “The gentleman wanted to watch a movie and hold someone while watching it.

“We were sitting next to each other holding hands. In seven years, I’ve probably only had two sessions where people have wanted to watch a movie.

“Now I encourage people to stop and breathe and feel the connection with the other person while respecting their boundaries.”

Having recently relocated to Chester from London, Petra is in the process of rebuilding her client base but still receives around eight bookings a month from regular clients.

Following a video call, Petra, who also works as a private carer, asks her clients to agree to a code of conduct ahead of meeting.

The guidelines sets out rules ranging from disclosing health conditions to being free from mind-altering substances. It also makes it clear there is a strict ban on inappropriate touching and kissing.

Before the session starts, Petra will ask her client if there is anywhere on their body they don’t like being touched. She also asks what type of touch they would like to receive.

Petra says there’s “no right or wrong way” to enjoy a cuddle session – adding there are many reasons why people from all walks of life request her services.

“If someone wants to hold hands and eye gaze, we can do that,” she told the M.E.N. “It’s just providing a safe space for them to express what they need.

“Quite often they just want to be held or they just want to feel a motherly touch. Quite often people just cry or find it very emotional.

“We can laugh, we can talk, I ask them if they want to have some kind of relaxing music in the background. I make it suitable for them.”

Petra says she can be booked for a variety of reasons – ranging from someone dealing with intimacy issues from past abuse to others feeling lonely after losing a spouse.

“I had a client who was abused in the past and really struggled with intimacy,” she said. “Others can feel lonely after losing their spouse and they’re going through a difficult time.

“I’ve had people with mental health issues like PTSD, anxiety and stress. I also had a client who was severely disabled so couldn’t have that physical touch with anyone other than his carer, which is different. People feel disconnected and lonely.”

Petra says her role has helped some customers overcome their struggles with intimacy – something she finds very rewarding.

“It’s nice when you see people who have been coming over the years and how it’s helped them and how they’ve improved,” she said. “It’s nice to see the client being so comfortable.

“It’s so simple. We can communicate with anyone across the world with all the different technology today but we don’t have the physical interactions. It’s really different these days.”

Although Petra’s job sees her connect with complete strangers, it's been rare that someone has overstepped the mark. But there was one concerning incident at the start of her career which raised a red flag.

“In the very early stages, someone wanted to kiss me but that’s not in the code of conduct,” Petra, whose husband supports her career, said.

“It was in the person’s house during the first year when I was still training which is why I urge everyone to do proper training for safety.

“It’s important to follow your intuition. I wasn’t 100 per cent sure about the client but I still went which was wrong. It was dangerous and obviously that person didn’t want to stick to the boundaries.

"But I’ve been doing this for years now and all the clients are so amazing and lovely. At the start, I attended a cuddle workshop in London where I had a little taste of professional cuddling.

“I think it was about three hours long and I left on a high on oxytocin. I knew I would really enjoy it and I had a really good feeling about it. I’ve enjoyed it ever since.”