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Taking Back My Power: An explosive, inspiring and totally honest memoir from Georgia Harrison, who suffered revenge porn at the hands of her ex-boyfriend
Georgia Harrison's story as you've never heard it before. Explosive and inspiring, Georgia reveals the shocking truth of how she suffered revenge porn at the hands of her ex - and how she fought to get her life back. 'One woman's campaign for justice for herself and for all victims of image-based sexual abuse. Georgia writes with unflinching honesty and, perhaps most powerfully, with hope' ELIZABETH DAYIn 2020, Georgia Harrison's ex-boyfriend Stephen Bear shared intimate footage of her online without her consent. With the click of a button, Georgia's innocence and dignity were stolen. But now she's taking her power back. This is not a sad story - it's a story about the power of hope, a journey to justice, and a rallying cry for change.In court, Georgia was finally allowed to tell her side of the story - and Bear was found guilty of revenge porn and voyeurism in what became the most talked-about case in the British media. This culminated in a 21-month jail sentence, a ruling that has cemented Georgia as a feminist icon.This is Georgia's story like you've never heard it before. Unfiltered and unflinching, Georgia pulls back the curtain on the nightmare that could have crushed her, but that made her who she is today. Georgia is proud to be a voice for women, determined to help victims of image-based sexual abuse seek justice. Holding nothing back, she shines a light on how to navigate traumatic times - the importance of hope, building resilience and a positive mindset. Taking Back My Power is more than just a memoir; it's an entire movement.'Georgia has been so brave. A total inspiration. Everyone should read this book' EM CLARKSON'Rousing and important ... A much-needed manifesto on consent' StylistGeorgia was Activist of the Year at this year's Glamour awards
195 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 26, 2023
6 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 20 reviews
April 28, 2024
I picked this up off the shelf at the library with no idea the author was a reality TV star. The topic appealed to me in the same way “Know My Name” by Chanel Miller did - to hear the stories of women who have been abused by entitled men and had to jump through ridiculous legal hoops for justice.
It was great to read about how she wanted to use her profile to help other women, how much she leaned into that understanding.
A quick, easy read but one that really connects you to her story and eventual success in changing the law. Good on you, Georgia.
It was great to read about how she wanted to use her profile to help other women, how much she leaned into that understanding.
A quick, easy read but one that really connects you to her story and eventual success in changing the law. Good on you, Georgia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2024
Simply and honestly written, as well as easy to read.
This is a story of one young woman's fight against image-based sexual abuse. Georgia fought someone in her social circle, someone who actually lived opposite her, in a case which opened her to vile abuse on social media, personal embarrassment and forced her to re-live the trauma of having intimate sexual encounters uploaded to the internet and spread far and wide.
There are so many practical reasons why Georgia might have chosen not to pursue Stephen Bear in open court. But she chose the hard path, the courageous path. Supported by her mother and good friends, she triumphed. Stephen Bear was ordered to do time in prison, Georgia became a campaigner against image-based sexual abuse and an advocate for similar causes - and in the process, had her respect and career opportunities restored to her.
A question she doesn't linger on, but which I think many readers will ask themselves, is why was SHE punished career-wise, for something someone else had done. The modern answer is that as an influencer you have to have to be the right 'fit for the brand'. But without assuming guilt or innocence of any party, why didn't the companies hiring her keep her on and use the opportunity to express that they believed HER side of the story, and were against revenge porn and image-based abuse? Companies, like politicians, need to lead more and push back against letting ignorant folks on social media lead the narrative. Or maybe not. Maybe our society believes the only job of a business is to make money.
Anyway, this book is about courage and the importance of having people who really love you in your life in times of crisis.
Though I don't believe in blind optimism, the lessons of 'The Secret' which Georgia practices are the lessons of faith in your ability, confidence that you deserve a good life no less than anyone else, and the focus to make it happen. Consistent faith, confidence and focus make you more alert to opportunities when they arise - and more likely to seize the day. About 13 years ago or whenever that book was the rage, I too read The Secret and found it inspiring. I don't believe there's any spiritual magic to it though. I don't believe there's any secret at all. Relentless focus and undogged self-belief simply go a long way.
In so far as Georgia actively fought for justice for others as well as herself, and those others include men and women, this is story of feminism in action.
This is a story of one young woman's fight against image-based sexual abuse. Georgia fought someone in her social circle, someone who actually lived opposite her, in a case which opened her to vile abuse on social media, personal embarrassment and forced her to re-live the trauma of having intimate sexual encounters uploaded to the internet and spread far and wide.
There are so many practical reasons why Georgia might have chosen not to pursue Stephen Bear in open court. But she chose the hard path, the courageous path. Supported by her mother and good friends, she triumphed. Stephen Bear was ordered to do time in prison, Georgia became a campaigner against image-based sexual abuse and an advocate for similar causes - and in the process, had her respect and career opportunities restored to her.
A question she doesn't linger on, but which I think many readers will ask themselves, is why was SHE punished career-wise, for something someone else had done. The modern answer is that as an influencer you have to have to be the right 'fit for the brand'. But without assuming guilt or innocence of any party, why didn't the companies hiring her keep her on and use the opportunity to express that they believed HER side of the story, and were against revenge porn and image-based abuse? Companies, like politicians, need to lead more and push back against letting ignorant folks on social media lead the narrative. Or maybe not. Maybe our society believes the only job of a business is to make money.
Anyway, this book is about courage and the importance of having people who really love you in your life in times of crisis.
Though I don't believe in blind optimism, the lessons of 'The Secret' which Georgia practices are the lessons of faith in your ability, confidence that you deserve a good life no less than anyone else, and the focus to make it happen. Consistent faith, confidence and focus make you more alert to opportunities when they arise - and more likely to seize the day. About 13 years ago or whenever that book was the rage, I too read The Secret and found it inspiring. I don't believe there's any spiritual magic to it though. I don't believe there's any secret at all. Relentless focus and undogged self-belief simply go a long way.
In so far as Georgia actively fought for justice for others as well as herself, and those others include men and women, this is story of feminism in action.
January 5, 2024
"Explosive, inspiring and a totally honest memoir" is only partially true...
Having never heard of Georgia Harrison, I'm probably not the target audience for the book. However, I had heard of a high-profile revenge porn case involving some reality TV stars, which is how I stumbled across it.
Georgia's experience of betrayal from a loved one in one of the worst ways and having it gain traction for the benefit of her abuser is unimaginable. Admirably, she waived her right to anonymity in order to take back her power and seek justice regardless of the inevitable ongoing backlash from online trolls.
It's a very easy, surface-level read, with nothing too philosophically profound or groundbreaking about it, despite how much the author desperately seems to want to be portrayed that way.
However, it is an honest, unapologetic account of the rise in popularity into a niche reality-TV fuelled spotlight and the challenges that come with that. You also can't take away from Georgia her pursuit to (successfully) change the law and how open and vulnerable she had to be in order to pave the way for others whose lives have been impacted by image-based sexual abuse.
A brave woman, for sure, but I don't think she's made to be an author.
Having never heard of Georgia Harrison, I'm probably not the target audience for the book. However, I had heard of a high-profile revenge porn case involving some reality TV stars, which is how I stumbled across it.
Georgia's experience of betrayal from a loved one in one of the worst ways and having it gain traction for the benefit of her abuser is unimaginable. Admirably, she waived her right to anonymity in order to take back her power and seek justice regardless of the inevitable ongoing backlash from online trolls.
It's a very easy, surface-level read, with nothing too philosophically profound or groundbreaking about it, despite how much the author desperately seems to want to be portrayed that way.
However, it is an honest, unapologetic account of the rise in popularity into a niche reality-TV fuelled spotlight and the challenges that come with that. You also can't take away from Georgia her pursuit to (successfully) change the law and how open and vulnerable she had to be in order to pave the way for others whose lives have been impacted by image-based sexual abuse.
A brave woman, for sure, but I don't think she's made to be an author.
November 1, 2023
I am rating 5 stars as this book is exactly what I expected, and wanted it to be.
Georgia faced such a horrific betrayal by someone she trusted all in the public eye.
Georgia is a victim like so many of us are, but she is so inspiring turning that into helping other victims by getting a whole fucking law changed!!!!!
This book is a quick read, but that doesn’t make it any less. I will read again no doubt.
I’m giving it 5 starts not for any scale other than I just love the message, I love her power, and she deserves it because she didn’t have to tell us shit ❤️
Georgia faced such a horrific betrayal by someone she trusted all in the public eye.
Georgia is a victim like so many of us are, but she is so inspiring turning that into helping other victims by getting a whole fucking law changed!!!!!
This book is a quick read, but that doesn’t make it any less. I will read again no doubt.
I’m giving it 5 starts not for any scale other than I just love the message, I love her power, and she deserves it because she didn’t have to tell us shit ❤️
March 28, 2024
I came late to the Love Island party and am not usually a reality TV viewer, so I discovered Georgia Harrison just over the last couple months. What an absolute force!
During the Love Island episodes, my sister and I kept saying, "OMG, she's so weird! I love her!" That's one of our highest possible compliments. Then her emotional maturity and thoughtfulness shone through — she was empathetic in her own relationships and those of the other Islanders — and I decided to do a deep dive on her career. That's how I discovered her story outside Love Island; that's how she went from one of my favorite Islanders to one of my favorite cultural icons. I knew I had to read this. And so do you.
Read the book to learn about her story (and watch Georgia v. Bear, her TOWIE eps, etc.) and how her journey has been about more than taking back her power. This easy but very engaging read (started and finished it on a flight from DC to Orlando) sees Gee celebrate her vulnerability, embrace her flaws, reveal her true self, and offer her experience as a catalyst for change and self-improvement, whether in terms of the laws protecting victims of image-based sexual abuse or simply waking up and saying, "I am a whole person."
Don't let the easy read fool you, though. What makes it that way is just how much her writing makes you feel like she's just telling you all this over a cuppa. By the time you finish the book, you feel like you know Georgia, like you've been part of her world — but you also feel like she's telling you all this because she just cares. It was such a delight to read something so raw and open that artfully walked the tightrope between telling her own story and making a very necessary mark on how we view the issues she discusses.
If Georgia Harrison is smart — and she absolutely is — she won't run for office (read the book to get that one). She'll write more books. She'll keep speaking out. She'll keep using her platform to make the world a better place. But more than that, she'll keep taking time for herself because she deserves it.
During the Love Island episodes, my sister and I kept saying, "OMG, she's so weird! I love her!" That's one of our highest possible compliments. Then her emotional maturity and thoughtfulness shone through — she was empathetic in her own relationships and those of the other Islanders — and I decided to do a deep dive on her career. That's how I discovered her story outside Love Island; that's how she went from one of my favorite Islanders to one of my favorite cultural icons. I knew I had to read this. And so do you.
Read the book to learn about her story (and watch Georgia v. Bear, her TOWIE eps, etc.) and how her journey has been about more than taking back her power. This easy but very engaging read (started and finished it on a flight from DC to Orlando) sees Gee celebrate her vulnerability, embrace her flaws, reveal her true self, and offer her experience as a catalyst for change and self-improvement, whether in terms of the laws protecting victims of image-based sexual abuse or simply waking up and saying, "I am a whole person."
Don't let the easy read fool you, though. What makes it that way is just how much her writing makes you feel like she's just telling you all this over a cuppa. By the time you finish the book, you feel like you know Georgia, like you've been part of her world — but you also feel like she's telling you all this because she just cares. It was such a delight to read something so raw and open that artfully walked the tightrope between telling her own story and making a very necessary mark on how we view the issues she discusses.
If Georgia Harrison is smart — and she absolutely is — she won't run for office (read the book to get that one). She'll write more books. She'll keep speaking out. She'll keep using her platform to make the world a better place. But more than that, she'll keep taking time for herself because she deserves it.
May 20, 2024
Georgia received a mixed reception on Love Island, as people weren’t sure of her true intentions. This book came out before Love Island All Stars and I knew I wanted to read it before, but it gave me that reminder to cash in my audible credit and go for it.
She has been someone that always wanted to be in the limelight. She yearned for her place on TOWIE and truly believes she manifested it. She then was on shows like ex on the beach, the challenge and Love Island, but what her ex Stephen Bear did to her was unimaginable and brought her a new level of fame she didn’t ask for. He posted cctv footage of them being intimate on his Onlyfans page and then a number of other porn websites.
She went to the police and turned him in.
He served 10.5 months of his 21 month sentence, after being found guilty of voyeurism and of two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress.
Harrison was lucky that Stephen was convicted and served actual jail time. She was “lucky” that she had proof of asking him to delete the footage and that he tried to sell the footage to a number of platforms and websites, so by taking his time, trying to shop the best deal, proved it was him that did it and not someone else on behalf of him. Other victims of image based sexual abuse never get this conviction. One of the reasons was they needed proof that the perpetrator had an intent to cause distress. This ordeal caused Georgia to go into a deep depression, as her credibility and saleability plummeted. Brands no longer wanted to work or associate themselves with her and she didn’t know what to do. As she had nothing but free time, she started campaigning against revenge porn, bringing reform and quickly rewriting law by taking out this stipulation of “intent to cause distress” from the online safety bill. There’s no doubting that due to high profile cases like hers these amendments into online safety have been brought into place, making it easier to prosecute and tackle these issues
She has been someone that always wanted to be in the limelight. She yearned for her place on TOWIE and truly believes she manifested it. She then was on shows like ex on the beach, the challenge and Love Island, but what her ex Stephen Bear did to her was unimaginable and brought her a new level of fame she didn’t ask for. He posted cctv footage of them being intimate on his Onlyfans page and then a number of other porn websites.
She went to the police and turned him in.
He served 10.5 months of his 21 month sentence, after being found guilty of voyeurism and of two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress.
Harrison was lucky that Stephen was convicted and served actual jail time. She was “lucky” that she had proof of asking him to delete the footage and that he tried to sell the footage to a number of platforms and websites, so by taking his time, trying to shop the best deal, proved it was him that did it and not someone else on behalf of him. Other victims of image based sexual abuse never get this conviction. One of the reasons was they needed proof that the perpetrator had an intent to cause distress. This ordeal caused Georgia to go into a deep depression, as her credibility and saleability plummeted. Brands no longer wanted to work or associate themselves with her and she didn’t know what to do. As she had nothing but free time, she started campaigning against revenge porn, bringing reform and quickly rewriting law by taking out this stipulation of “intent to cause distress” from the online safety bill. There’s no doubting that due to high profile cases like hers these amendments into online safety have been brought into place, making it easier to prosecute and tackle these issues
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 15, 2024
Listened to this on audible 🎧 after listening to this I really felt empathy for Georgia and what she’s been through having lost 2 people close to her and then being the victim of revenge porn. It was interesting to hear her perspective of grief and shame.
The timeline was abit all over the place and some of the things described were repeated so I sometimes got confused about what year and situation she was talking about but it was powerful to hear her story and I’m glad she was able to tell it.
The timeline was abit all over the place and some of the things described were repeated so I sometimes got confused about what year and situation she was talking about but it was powerful to hear her story and I’m glad she was able to tell it.
January 3, 2025
A raw, honest depiction of her life so far and the revenge porn ordeal with Stephen Bear.
Having followed Gerogia on TV and social media for the whole of her career, it was interesting to see her as just another girl.
Her experiences with relationships and grief are both relatable and heartbreaking. I binged it in one sitting.
The fact that through such a horrible experience, she thought about others and gotten the law's changed speaks volumes.
Having followed Gerogia on TV and social media for the whole of her career, it was interesting to see her as just another girl.
Her experiences with relationships and grief are both relatable and heartbreaking. I binged it in one sitting.
The fact that through such a horrible experience, she thought about others and gotten the law's changed speaks volumes.
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November 12, 2023I listened to the audiobook of this after watching the documentary previously. I felt this covered a lot of ground that documentary did and also found a lot of repetition and overlap between chapters, a few times I had to double check I hadn’t gone back a chapter. Overall a detailed and difficult story and account of an incredible and inspiring woman ⭐️
April 13, 2024
Such an important book In modern Britain, Stephen best got everything he had coming to him and Georgia made sure she got her justice not only that but changed the law in the process! Georgia shows all women not to put up with it, report it, stand your ground and get the justice and support you deserve! A great book that is so raw and emotional and feels like Georgia is a mate sat chatting to you
November 6, 2023
The book has a undertone of gratitude and manifesting which I really enjoyed.
Such a inspiring young woman, staying positive despite what she went through.
Georgia has set a standard for ‘revenge porn’ her campaigning changing the law, changing the online safety bill for consent.
Such a inspiring young woman, staying positive despite what she went through.
Georgia has set a standard for ‘revenge porn’ her campaigning changing the law, changing the online safety bill for consent.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2024
🎧Audio book- I’ve loved and looked up to Georgia since 2017 Love Island and this has just made me look up to her so so much more. Truly such an inspiration. This book is honestly amazing and was lovely to listen to
February 18, 2024
A little bit jumpy in places, but overall the driving force behind the book override’s that. Good on Georgia for not only chasing justice but I’m getting it! 👏🏻👏🏻
January 14, 2025
really interesting read
would have been 5*’s without the spirituality chapter, i had to pretty much skip it
would have been 5*’s without the spirituality chapter, i had to pretty much skip it
November 13, 2023
Strong and powerful! Following Georgias story has made me so so proud of what she is standing for.
March 3, 2025
🎧
incredible. loved that g narrated the audiobook made it feel so much more raw and real
incredible. loved that g narrated the audiobook made it feel so much more raw and real
November 16, 2023
Inspiring. Powerful. Spiritual. What a woman 💪🏼💗
Displaying 1 - 19 of 20 reviews