AS the Blitz shut down theatres in London, brave showgirls slipped on gas masks – and very little else – to keep the capital smiling.

In the dark basement of The Windmill, Britain’s cheeky answer to Paris’s legendary Moulin Rouge, the performers served up drinks and stripteases while sirens wailed above.

Five women dressed in "Spearmint Rhino" branded outfits walk down a street in Soho, London.
From left to right: Rocha Jay, Ember, Georgia, Tyger-Skye and MollieCredit: Olivia West
 

Four women in matching showgirl outfits, gas masks, and hard hats perform a synchronized dance routine.
Dancers at The Windmill perform wearing gas masks and hard-hatsCredit: Getty
 

Two stage actresses, one in a lace chemise and the other bare-chested in trousers, read a magazine backstage at The Windmill Theatre, 1940.
Some of the girls backstage in 1940Credit: Getty
The iconic Soho venue, the city’s oldest strip club and the first to show naked dancers, became an unlikely symbol of wartime grit, proving even bombs could not dampen Londoners’ spirits.

Its famous motto, “Never closed,” was cheekily reworked into “Never clothed” — a nod to the Windmill Girls who bared all to keep punters smiling through some of the darkest days of World War Two.

Now, nearly a century on, the venue is roaring back to life as the Rhino At The Windmill and waging a very different battle — this time against woke culture.

Adult entertainment giant Spearmint Rhino has taken over the venue after its own flagship club on nearby Tottenham Court Road was forced to close five years ago following Covid restrictions.

Like many strip joints across the country, though, the Rhino At The Windmill will have to fight against a growing crackdown by authorities.

Over the years, councils have steadily tightened the rules on lap-dancing venues, leading to nationwide closures.

The number of licensed strip clubs has fallen from an estimated 350–400 in the early 2000s to 150–200 between 2022 and 2025.

But the clampdown hasn’t stopped punters queuing at the door nor put off performers.

More than 60 exotic dancers descended on the Rhino At The Windmill last weekend, all hoping to be part of its bold new chapter.

Dressed to impress in skimpy outfits and sky-high stilettos, the glamorous hopefuls clutched hands and shimmied their way down Shaftesbury Avenue, turning heads and stopping traffic as stunned tourists whipped out their phones.

In tow was TV presenter Lizzie Cundy, who was on hand to audition the hopefuls.

Speaking exclusively to The Sun, she said: “Woke is dead, glam is back. It’s great to have Spearmint Rhino in London again.

“I used to come with girlfriends back in the day and we used to have a great time. I love it, it’s really empowering women. I can’t stand this woke nonsense. Be liberated, let women do what they want.”

Lizzie, who was married to former Premier League footballer Jason Cundy for 18 years, was an F1 grid girl at the height of her fame.

She said: “It was some of the best times of my life. It was exciting and I love motorsport. I met famous stars and I made lots of money.

“It was a shame when the grid girls were stopped. You’re taking away choices from women.”

On what it takes to become a Spearmint Rhino dancer, Lizzie said: “For me, it’s all about personality. You’ve got to be enjoying yourself — confidence is everything.

“Of course, beauty helps, great bodies, big smiles, it’s about having the whole package.

Mollie, a stripper for Spearmint Rhino, kneels on a bar counter at The Windmill in London.
‘We do get some weird requests but I bat them off’, reveals MollieCredit: Olivia West
 

Brooke, wearing a gold jacket and leopard print lingerie, poses for a photo.
Georgia is certain ‘The Windmill will be here in another century’Credit: Olivia West
 

Ember, an interviewed individual, posing against a textured brown wall, smiling, with long red hair and a black floral bodysuit.
Ember says she ‘could work in a normal club but here feels safer’Credit: Olivia West
“I want to pick someone who really knows what they’re doing, who owns it, works the room and makes people remember them.”

One of the girls who is hoping to earn a spot as a performer is Mollie, who is a dancer at Spearmint Rhino’s Leicester club.

She said: “I’ve travelled all over the world dancing. It really brought me out of my shell and made me more confident. It’s changed my life for the better.”

Mollie, 24, can earn the average monthly pay in the UK in just one night. She added: “It’s good money.”

Hitting back at feminists who say it is demeaning, Mollie said: “We don’t put women down, we express ourselves. Women can do what they want with their bodies, that’s what true feminism is about.”

Mollie, who is wearing a Spearmint Rhino necklace paired with crystal lingerie, prefers her punters to be young men as she “can boss them around more”.

“Some nights can be stressful and you don’t make much, other nights you’re on a roll,” she says.

“We do get some weird requests, but I’m good at batting them off.

“One guy asked if he could be my foot stool, another wanted to lick the soles of my 8in heels and another asked to smell my armpits. Some guys ask us to walk on them in our heels.”

There is a strict “no touching” policy that punters must adhere to or they risk immediate removal and a permanent ban.

Mollie said: “It’s like a family here. Everyone is close and looking out for one another. It’s safer in a reputable strip club than most normal nightclubs.”

Dancers perform around a pole on stage while others mingle with customers, encouraging them to pay for private dances.

Success isn’t necessarily down to a performer’s dance moves. Personality, confidence and the ability to build rapport with punters matter far more.

The other hopefuls I met ranged in age from 21 to 36.

Among them was redhead Ember, a single mum from Essex, who said the cost-of-living crisis had pushed her to swap office work for a chance to earn more as a performer.

The Windmill International, a red-lit strip club, at night with red telephone booths in the foreground.
The Windmill is Britain’s cheeky answer to Paris’s legendary Moulin RougeCredit: Alamy
 

Lizzie Cundy on a Spearmint Rhino delivery bike in Soho.
TV presenter Lizzie Cundy, who was on hand to audition the hopefulsCredit: Olivia West
 

A group of seven women in black outfits with "W" branding, some in a bodysuit or minidress, and one in a jacket and leather pants, posing on and around a black velvet platform in a nightclub with leopard print carpet.
Lizzie with the new teamCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Some hopefuls admitted their families had no idea they were auditioning.

Ember, 32, said: “This is my first time ever doing this. I used to work in admin and I’ve got a little girl.

“I can’t dance — I won’t lie — but they told me that’s not the most important thing. If you can build a connection and talk to people, that’s what it’s really about. I’m more of a girl-next-door type.

“Some of my friends know I’m here, but my family have no idea.

“I was really stressed working admin jobs and, with the cost-of-living crisis, this feels like the best option for me. If you want a nice life for your children, sometimes you have to take a chance.

“I could work in a normal nightclub and the same risks would be there, but here there’s strict security, so in many ways it feels safer.”

American brand Spearmint Rhino opened its flagship London venue to much fanfare in 2000, quickly becoming a celebrity hotspot.

Big names including Prince Harry, Rihanna, George Clooney, 50 Cent, Floyd Mayweather and Pamela Anderson were reportedly spotted at the entrance.

The gentleman’s club quickly became synonymous with London’s thriving nightlife scene, though it wasn’t without controversy.

In 2002, Scotland Yard attempted to shut down the venue following allegations that it was operating as a brothel.

The dramatic move sparked a fierce legal battle, which led to a tightening of rules, but ultimately a victory for Spearmint Rhino.

In 2014, the lap-dancing club faced the axe again after Camden Council refused to renew its licence.

Officials slammed the club for the large number of private dance booths, which broke the council’s Sex Establishments Policy, and flagged the lack of CCTV in areas including the open sections of the toilets.

It claimed the venue showed an “unwillingness to address this and what that implied.”

Spearmint Rhino fought back and won. But, like many entertainment venues across the country, it was the Covid pandemic that eventually forced the club to close in 2020.

Now, Spearmint Rhino’s decision to take over The Windmill sends a bold message to London’s dwindling nightlife scene — the risqué empire is back and better than ever.

John Specht, vice president of Spearmint Rhino, said: “The Windmill is an icon. To reopen here gives us the opportunity to blend heritage with a new, contemporary energy.

“Spearmint Rhino has always understood theatre, atmosphere and experience.

“There is no better setting to evolve that vision than in the heart of Soho, inside a venue that has entertained London for generations.”

The Windmill Theatre opened in the 1930s. It even became an unlikely symbol of British resilience, staying open through the peak of the Blitz.

Later, the venue was converted into an adult cinema before returning to its roots in 1970 under notorious porn baron and “King of Soho” Paul Raymond, the man behind cabaret club Madame Jojo’s.

In recent years, The Windmill ran into trouble. Its adult entertainment licence was revoked in 2018 after an undercover operation found dancers flouting its “no touching” rules.

In 2021, it reopened as a 350- capacity dining and cabaret venue after a £10million refurb — only to face complaints last year over its proximity to a primary school.

In September, the club closed following the collapse of Big Country, the company that had run The Windmill since 2021, amid a legal battle with its landlord Spearmint Rhino, reportedly over rent costs and a basement leak.

But dancers are optimistic about the future of Rhino At The Windmill and believe it can once again become the beating heart of Soho.

“It’ll be here in another century,” says Georgia, a London dancer.

“And glamorous girls will still be dancing on stage, bringing smiles back to Londoners’ faces.”