Once a familiar face in the British modeling scene of the ’80s and ’90s, Donna Ewin is now navigating a very different path—behind the wheel of a black cab in London.
At 53, Ewin has built a life far removed from the glossy pages that once made her a household name. Her journey from iconic glamour model to London taxi driver may seem unexpected, but it’s one she’s embraced for over two decades.
Ewin stepped into the limelight at just 17, launching her modeling career in 1988. Over the next ten years, she became a recognizable figure in the world of glamour, even landing the cover of Playboy five times. Though she officially stepped away from modeling in 1998, her legacy remains strong—fans continue to collect her images, and she maintains an active presence on OnlyFans, where she’s shared nearly 800 posts.
Even now, decades after her modeling heyday, Ewin’s allure hasn’t faded. Her OnlyFans bio offers a glimpse into her busy schedule:
“My subscription is currently at £4.99 as I’m unable to come on here as much as I’d like. I will still be posting content and answering messages, but as my life is very busy, I am only posting one PPV a month at the moment until I am able to be on here more.”
She continues to engage with over 13,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter), where she proudly refers to herself as a “Page 3 legend,” as well as on Instagram.
Trading the Catwalk for the Cab Rank
Born in Bethnal Green, East London, Ewin originally pursued fashion at the London College of Fashion. However, she quickly discovered that her body type didn’t match the fashion industry’s standards. Encouraged to explore glamour modeling instead, she joined an agency and found success—but not without challenges.
“People used to tell me I should try modeling, but I wasn’t the right shape for fashion,” she once shared. “I was quite shapely, and someone suggested Page 3. I joined an agency, and things took off—but my dad was horrified.”
She has since reflected on how young she was when she entered the glamour industry and described the supposed glitz as misleading.
After retiring from modeling, Ewin tried her hand at acting, landing roles in Kevin & Perry Go Large and The Fast Show. But long-term stability eluded her, and she began to consider other options. With her father working as a London cabbie, she decided to follow his lead.
“My career was ending, and I wasn’t a Shakespearean actress or a Barbara Windsor. I didn’t study beyond school, so I thought, ‘What do I do?’” she explained.
Holding Her Own in a Man’s World
Joining London’s cab scene wasn’t without its hurdles. As one of the few women in a male-dominated profession, Ewin initially stood out—and not always in a good way.
She remembered one moment at Heathrow Airport that underscored how out of place she felt:
“I walked into the café, and I felt like I had three heads—like I was a cyclops.”
Encounters with unwelcoming male colleagues weren’t uncommon either. One memory from Tottenham Court Road remains vivid:
“There was a man who looked at me and shook his head in disgust. I just said ‘Hiii’ and really played it up, and he got so mad he just drove off.”
Despite the occasional hostility, Ewin has carved out a place for herself in London’s cab-driving community. While her career path may seem unconventional, it reflects resilience, reinvention, and a willingness to take the wheel—literally and figuratively—of her own life.
