Georgia Harrison on her fight against revenge porn: ‘I hope he has a nice life’
Georgia Harrison is smartly dressed in a pink boucle jacket and a white blouse buttoned up at the collar, hair swept off her face in a slick, smart ponytail. But as soon as she gets off the Zoom call, she’ll change into a Tinkerbell costume for early Halloween celebrations – as seen in photographs now shared on Instagram.
This is the fun, carefree woman the reality star and influencer used to be, before her ex, Stephen Bear, almost ruined her life.
It has been seven months since he was jailed for sharing CCTV footage of them having sex, recorded without her knowledge, and it finally “feels like the fog has lifted… I’m falling in love with the magic of life again”.
Harrison, 28, is a former The Only Way Is Essex and Love Island star. Now, she is a well-known activist following her high-profile ordeal, which she details in her new memoir, Taking Back My Power.
It began in August 2020, after she slept with Bear. While he told her afterwards about the footage and assured her it would remain private, there was a nagging doubt. She started to hear stories that people had seen it, and then received screenshots.
This was the hardest period of her life, she says, as she waited in limbo for the inevitable. When the footage did go viral, first through Bear’s OnlyFans account and then picked up by Pornhub, she says she was almost relieved.
“I was living in fear and I was imagining these situations… all these people are going to judge me, my friends and family are going to be so disappointed,” she explained.
“I think when it actually did go viral and everyone knew about it, it was almost like a weight lifted – to be able to have the conversations with my friends and family… and then also the police and people that could actually help me.
“I think I really needed to have those conversations to understand I had nothing to be ashamed of.”
‘I had no option but to go to the police’
Harrison’s influencing career crumbled as brands she worked with quickly dropped her.
It is hard to overstate the shame, embarrassment and fear she felt, she says – knowing how many people had viewed the footage or were searching for the “sex tape”.
But she never had any hesitation about going to the police or doing everything in her power to put a stop to it.
She even asked her Instagram followers to help her collate evidence, publicly waiving her right to anonymity as a victim of a sexual offence.
“As soon as I realised the scale of how many porn websites it was on and also the fact that he directly sold it himself on a verified account, I was like, absolutely there’s no other option now to just go to the police and face this head-on,” she said.
During Bear’s trial in 2022, his Twitter account shared a half-price deal for his adult entertainment website alongside a photo of him arriving at court accompanied by his girlfriend.
The image showed him walking from a hired chauffeur-driven white Rolls Royce to the court building, with the accompanying text reading: “50% off my adult site for the next 24 hours. Come see why I’m trending.”
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Stephen Bear takes selfie and sings before being jailed
‘It was really demoralising’
Harrison describes his behaviour as “appalling”. But it showed the real Stephen Bear, she adds.
“He was arrogant, he was rude, he was dismissive,” she says. “He treated women outside [the court], especially the reporters, like they were completely insignificant. And that is him. So if anything, it was nice for the public to be able to see what I was dealing with in reality.”
She had to relive her ordeal in court, verifying photos of the footage that were shown to jurors.
“You feel really exposed, having to go through, one at a time, pictures of you in different sexual positions you had no idea anyone would ever see you in,” she says.
“It was really, really tough. And it wasn’t just tough for me. I felt embarrassed but I could tell the whole room felt embarrassed, the jury must’ve felt really uncomfortable as well.
“But I knew I had to do it. So it was just like, bite the bullet and push through. It was really demoralising.”
Bear, now 33, was found guilty of voyeurism, and two counts of disclosing private, sexual photographs and films. In March this year, he was sentenced to 21 months in prison.
It was a hugely significant conviction. According to data collated by the women’s charity Refuge earlier this year, of 13,860 intimate image offences recorded by 24 police forces between 1 January 2019 and 31 July 2022, the alleged offender was charged or summonsed in just 4% of cases. A conviction is even less likely.
Changes to the law
Following campaigning by Harrison and others, the government in June announced changes to make it easier to convict those who share revenge porn.
While the act was criminalised in 2015, the new amendments will remove the requirement for prosecutors to prove perpetrators intended to cause distress in order to secure a conviction.
“I still find it hard to comprehend that that actually happened,” she says. “I think it’s going to change conviction rates. I really hope in a year’s time I’m having these discussions and I have statistics to show it’s made a difference.”
She adds: “Because for the girls I speak to, the victims I’ve spoken to in the past, it really has let them down so many times, that clause.”
Harrison now wants online platforms to face tougher consequences for hosting images or footage taken or shared without consent.
She says: “One of the most traumatising things wasn’t even coming to terms with the fact he’d done it to me. It was coming to terms with the fact these powerful platforms – who are making billions of dollars a year and are in such a huge position, where they have a responsibility to be looking after their subscribers or their viewers – were just so ignorant.”
“None of them wanted to answer me,” Harrison says. She received automated responses of “we’ll get back to you in five to six days”.
A spokesperson for OnlyFans said the site took down the video “within 24 hours of being notified, closed the account and aided the prosecution of Stephen Bear”.
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‘It’s not a lot to ask’
Harrison does not have much faith in tech companies but does have faith in the Online Safety Bill, which will place new duties on social media platforms to protect users from harmful content.
For the biggest platforms, failure to protect users could see them face significant fines of up to £18m or 10% of global revenue – potentially billions of pounds – and tech bosses could even face prison in extreme cases.
“I think once that comes into play, they’re going to put more money into compliance,” Harrison says.
She wants social media firms to have employees who can deal with complaints about any form of abuse online.
She explains: “You should be able to speak to a human being who can immediately take the relevant steps to either pause or stop content until it’s further reviewed. It’s not a lot to ask.”
Harrison’s life now is vastly different from the one she had mapped out as a reality star and influencer. She worked with multiple underwear brands before all this, but not now.
“I find it weird there was such a stigma in that industry,” she says. “I definitely think a lot of brands should be looking into the way they do treat women in these situations and also be doing more to empower women, especially when that’s their main clientele. It’s a bit hypocritical.”
But on the flip side, she says she is “really lucky to be opening new doors”. Earlier this month, she received Glamour magazine’s activist of the year award. Last month, she visited Downing Street.
“I think when you go through so much in such a small amount of time, it takes a while to adjust back to everything being happy… not having a fear that things are going to go wrong,” she says.
Georgia Harrison poses for photographers upon arrival at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards 2023 on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023 in London. (Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP)
What would Harrison say to Bear?
Harrison has her book out and film projects in the pipeline. “I’ve got a few things that are going to show my resilient side, which I don’t think the UK has seen before,” she says.
I’m not sure that’s true, I say. If there is one word to sum up the Georgia Harrison of the past few years, it is probably resilient.
She smiles. “You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of,” is her message to anyone else suffering in the same way she did, she says.
I ask her what she would say to Bear, should she ever come across him again.
“Nothing,” is the quick response. All she wants is for him to admit to himself, not necessarily even publicly, that he was wrong, and “take steps to rehabilitate himself as a better human being and learn how to respect women, treat women well, and also not break the law in the future”.
Harrison finds her stride: “I believe that every human being who has lost their way in this world should have a chance at rehabilitation and bettering themselves and learning from the mistakes, I just don’t believe every human being has the ability to do it. But hopefully, he does and he goes on to live a nice life – but a moral life.”
Harrison is proud of everything she has achieved and determined to keep being a voice for others who may have suffered similar injustices, but says she needs to still be the old Georgia Harrison, too.
“I’m quite upbeat and comedic, I am a light-hearted person and I feel like those aspects of my personality tend to get a bit drowned out,” she says.
“I’m campaigning or speaking about things that are really important subjects, but also really quite mentally draining and quite tiring. So I’m just trying to figure out getting a balance.”
She wants to help other people, she says again. “And apart from that, I try and keep it sunshine and rainbows.” With that, she grins – telling me she’s eager to get changed into her costume for her Halloween party.
Tinkerbell – the fairy who fixes things.
Taking Back My Power, published by Renegade Books, with eBook and audio also available, is out now.
The Metropolitan Police has condemned the “intolerable” abuse allegedly suffered by officers who were “kicked and spat on” as they arrested more than 400 people at a protest against the banning of Palestine Action as a terror group.
The arrests were made on Saturday at a protest in London against the banning of the proscribed terror group.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Claire Smart, who led the policing operation, said: “In carrying out their duties today, our officers have been punched, kicked, spat on and had objects thrown at them by protesters.
“It is intolerable that those whose job it is to enforce the law and keep people safe – in this case arresting individuals committing offences under the Terrorism Act – should be subject to this level of abuse.”
Pic: PA
The force added some protesters had been both physically and verbally abusive in a “coordinated effort to prevent officers carrying out their duties”, and that more than 25 of the arrests were made for assault.
A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries claimed the rally had been “the picture of peaceful protest” and that the Met Police’s statement about its officers being abused was an “astonishing claim”.
“I’ve been here all day and I haven’t seen any violence or aggression from anyone,” they said. “I’ve only seen aggression and violence from the police.”
It comes as the number of those arrested at the protest rose to more than 425 by around 9pm on Saturday, the Met said, but more arrests were expected.
Officers were seen drawing their batons while demonstrators took action in support of the proscribed terror organisation.
One man was seen with blood streaming down his face behind a barrier after being arrested, while the crowd was heard chanting “shame on you” and “you’re supporting genocide”.
Tense scenes on the western side of Parliament Square saw several protesters fall over in a crush while water was thrown at officers.
Pic: PA
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Smart said the majority of protests, including the Palestine Coalition march, attended by around 20,000 people, “passed with very few arrests”.
But “this was not the case at the protest organised by Defend Our Juries in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Palestine Action”.
“The tactics deployed by supporters of Palestine Action in their attempt to overwhelm the justice system, as well as the level of violence seen in the crowd, required significant resource which took officers out of neighbourhoods to the detriment of the Londoners who rely on them,” she said.
Sky News’ Laura Bundock was at the protest.
She said: “There are hundreds of people here holding their placards proclaiming support for Palestine Action, they know that in itself is a criminal offence and so they are sat around, lying around, waiting to be arrested but with so many people here, it’s taking a long time.”
She added: “Protesters are now appealing to the new home secretary, they don’t see this activism as terrorism and vow they will never back down.”
A protester is carried away by police in Parliament Square. Pic: PA
First arrest after just 12 minutes
The Met announced the first arrests of the day on X just 12 minutes after the protest’s official start time.
The protest’s organiser, Defend Our Juries, said it estimated 1,500 had gathered for the rally, where many of them held signs saying: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
In an update early on Saturday evening, the Met said: “Any assaults against officers will not be tolerated and arrests have already been made. We will identify all those responsible and prosecute to the full extent of the law.”
It had warned before the protest that “expressing support for a proscribed organisation is a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act”.
“Where our officers see offences, we will make arrests,” it said.
Pic: PA
Palestine Action has been banned as a terror group since 5 July after MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of the move proposed by then-home secretary Yvette Cooper, making it illegal to express support for the group.
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Police and demonstrators in Westminster. Pic: PA
The ban on the group came shortly after two Voyager aircraft suffered around £7m worth of damage at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on 20 June.
The Home Office is set to appeal against the High Court ruling allowing Palestine Action’s co-founder, Huda Ammori, to proceed with a legal challenge against the government over the group’s ban.
Sir Keir Starmer has reshuffled his cabinet following Angela Rayner’s resignation after admitting she had not paid enough stamp duty on the purchase of a new home.
The prime minister’s former right-hand woman stepped down as deputy prime minister, housing secretary and deputy leader of the Labour Party after standards adviser Sir Laurie Magnus found she had breached the ministerial code.
Politics latest: Reshuffle after Rayner quits
She paid standard stamp duty on a flat she bought in Hove, East Sussex, in May after taking advice that it counted as her only home due to her disabled son’s trust owning the family home in Ashton-under-Lyne – but it was established she should have paid more.
Her resignation has left a hole around the cabinet table, which Sir Keir is now filling.
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The rise and fall of Angela Rayner
It was stressed early on Chancellor Rachel Reeves would remain as chancellor, in an attempt to stop the markets moving.
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This is who is moving and where to:
David Lammy – foreign secretary to justice secretary and deputy PM
After flexing his diplomatic muscles with Donald Trump and his deputy JD Vance over the past year, Mr Lammy will now move to the justice brief.
The move is likely to be a blow as the PM had promised, most recently in November, he would be foreign secretary for the whole parliament until 2029.
Although he is no longer holding one of the four great offices of state, he has also been made deputy prime minister, presumably to soften the blow.
Mr Lammy is close to Sir Keir, both as a friend and in his next door constituency, and was seen grinning as he went into Number 10 after being appointed.
Yvette Cooper – home secretary to foreign secretary
The Labour stalwart had made tackling illegal migration a priority, so the move could be seen as a disappointment for her.
However, she remains in one of the four great offices of state – PM, chancellor, foreign and home.
Shabana Mahmood – justice secretary to home secretary
A big promotion, the straight-talking Labour MP will be tasked with tackling the small boats crisis and asylum seeker hotel protests.
She is no stranger to making difficult decisions, deciding to free criminals early to reduce prison overcrowding as justice secretary.
Her move makes it the first time all three great offices of state, after the prime minister, are held by women.
Pat McFadden – chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and intergovernmental minister to work and pensions secretary and head of “super ministry”
Often seen as Sir Keir’s “number two”, Mr McFadden will take over a newly formed “super ministry”.
It will include the department for work and pensions and the skills remit of the department for education – taking a large part of Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson’s brief and taking over from Liz Kendall as work and pensions secretary.
While it is not a promotion at first glance, it is a much wider role than he has had as chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – the highest-ranking Cabinet Office minister after the PM.
Darren Jones – chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
It is the second new job in the space of one week for the new chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The close ally of the prime minister was promoted from chief secretary to the Treasury on Monday to chief secretary to the prime minister. And now he gets another new job.
Steve Reed – environment secretary to housing secretary
A promotion for the man who has consistently defended the government lifting inheritance tax relief on farmers.
He takes over one of the two major vacancies left by Ms Rayner and will have the massive task of building 1.5 million new homes during this parliament, as promised by the government.
Jonathan Reynolds – business and trade secretary to chief whip
A slightly odd move for the MP seen as a steady pair of hands in his business secretary role.
He takes over from Sir Alan Campbell and will now have to hustle Labour MPs to vote with the government – something that has sometimes proved difficult with the current cohort.
Mr Reynolds will also attend cabinet, as is necessary so he can liaise between the party and No 10.
Peter Kyle – science secretary to business and trade secretary
A promotion for Mr Kyle, who is taking over from Jonathan Reynolds.
He is seen as a rising star and impressed Labour MPs when he refused to stand down after suggesting Nigel Farage was on the side of people like Jimmy Savile by opposing the government’s online safety law.
Mr Kyle will be in charge of getting trade deals with other countries over the line.
Emma Reynolds – economic secretary to the Treasury to environment secretary
Probably the biggest promotion of the reshuffle, Ms Reynolds is taking on Mr Reed’s role after serving as a junior minister in the Treasury.
She will have to take on farmers and deal with the water companies – a big undertaking.
Liz Kendall – work and pensions secretary to science, innovation and technology secretary
Pat McFadden has taken her role as work and pensions secretary, while Ms Kendall takes over Peter Kyle’s brief.
He has made AI a major facet of his role so we will wait to see which direction Ms Kendall takes the job in.
Douglas Alexander – trade policy minister to Scotland secretary
A promotion for the Blair/Brown minister who returned to politics last year after being ousted in 2015 by then 20-year-old SNP MP Mhairi Black.
He takes over from Ian Murray, who has been removed from the cabinet.
Sir Alan Campbell – Chief whip to Lord President of the Council and leader of the House of Commons
An MP since 1997 and part of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s frontbench, Sir Alan is taking over Lucy Powell’s role.
He will be in charge of organising government business in the Commons – a sizeable job.
Anna Turley MP is now Minister of State in the Cabinet Office (Minister without Portfolio). She will attend Cabinet
The Home Office
Sir Keir has also announced big changes at the Home Office, as the government works to get a grip of illegal migration to the UK.
Dame Angela Eagle, who was border security and asylum minister, has been moved to the environment department.
Dame Diana Johnson, who was policing and crime minister, has been moved to the Department for Work and Pensions.
Dan Jarvis has been given a role in the Cabinet Office, in addition to his post as security minister in the Home Office.
And Sarah Jones, who was industry minister, has been moved to the Home Office.
Ministerial changes
As well as making sweeping changes to the cabinet, Starmer has also been making changes to the ministerial team.
These changes include…
Jason Stockwood as Minister of State (Minister for Investment) jointly in the Department for Business and Trade and HM Treasury;
Dan Jarvis as Minister of State in the Cabinet Office. He will remain Minister of State for the Home Department;
Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern as Minister of State (Minister for Skills) in the Department for Work and Pensions. She will remain Minister of State (Minister for Skills and Minister for Women and Equalities) in the Department for Education.
Lord Vallance KCB as Minister of State in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. He will remain Minister of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Michael Shanks as Minister of State jointly in the Department for Business and Trade and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Alison McGovern as Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Dame Angela Eagle as Minister of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson as Minister of State in the Department for Work and Pensions.
Sarah Jones as Minister of State for the Home Department.
Who is out?
Lucy Powell has been sacked as leader of the House of Commons.
Ian Murray has been sacked as Scotland secretary.
Justin Madders is no longer minister for employment rights.
Not out – but
Bridget Phillipson remains as education secretary but her brief has narrowed as Mr McFadden has taken over the skills part of her job.
A resident of a hotel housing asylum seekers has been assaulted, police say, after they responded to reports of people throwing firecrackers and flares outside the property.
Officers were called to the Bell Hotel on Friday evening, where people were throwing smoke bombs.
Essex Police said the antisocial behaviour was not carried out by legitimate protesters and was a “change from the peaceful protect we saw on Thursday and on many occasions before”.
Police also received reports a resident of the hotel was assaulted, and arrested a 49-year-old man from Harlow in connection with this.
He remains in custody.
One man was also issued with a Section 42 Notice yesterday evening, under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. This is a legal power that allows police to direct someone to leave the area if their presence is believed to be causing alarm or distress.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: “I have seen reports that those living at the hotel were throwing flares – I have watched footage of the events yesterday and can say that this is categorically untrue. This is flagrant disinformation, the likes of which we have seen before, designed to cause trouble.
“In fact, flares were being lit and thrown by those purporting to protest, but there is a stark difference between criminal behaviour and those seeking to genuinely exercise their right to protest.”
He continued: “Flares, firecrackers and smoke bombs are not peaceful. Assaulting those living at the hotel is not peaceful. Surrounding and intimidating people living in the hotel is not peaceful.”
The Bell Hotel has been the site of protests in recent weeks. Pic: AP
A dispersal order was put in place on Friday evening, which gives officers the power to disperse anyone suspected of anti-social behaviour.
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