Reality TV star Georgia Harrison has expressed her surprise at being appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her work in addressing online privacy and raising awareness about cybercrime.
Harrison, 30, best known for her appearances on The Only Way Is Essex and Love Island, has dedicated herself to campaigning against violence against women and girls.
It comes following her own experience as a victim of revenge porn.
She said she was “completely blown away” by the honour.
She told the PA news agency: “Honestly, I’m completely blown away to be receiving an MBE – it’s one of my proudest achievements and something I didn’t expect to be coming through the letter box this summer.
“It means the world to have this kind of recognition, not just for me, but for all the survivors who’ve been through what I have.
“Speaking out after what happened wasn’t easy, but I knew it was important.
“I didn’t want anyone else to feel as alone or powerless as I did. I’ve tried to turn something painful into something positive, and this honour is a reminder that we can make change when we use our voices.
“Thank you to everyone who’s supported me along the way, to all of the MPs that invited me in to speak with open arms and to all the charities that supported me and my fellow survivors.
“I’ll never stop fighting for what’s right and I’ll always step up when and where I think I can make a positive difference for others.”
In 2021, the TV star waived her right to anonymity amid a trial that saw her ex-partner, Stephen Bear, accused of sharing a secretly recorded sex tape of her to adult content website OnlyFans.
Bear, also a reality TV star, served 10 and a half months of a 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.
In April 2023, the month after he was sentenced, Harrison attended a demonstration, held outside Parliament by domestic violence charity Refuge, calling for specific protections for women and girls to be included in the Online Safety Bill.
She also called for social media platforms to be “held accountable” for online harassment and abuse, and criticised the justice system for failing to “keep up”.
Later that year, she discussed the Bill in a Downing Street meeting with former technology secretary Michelle Donelan as it returned to the Commons for its final stages.
In recognition of her work advocating for online safety and the prevention of violence against women and girls she won the activist gong at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards 2023.
Reflecting on her campaigning, she told The Sun in October 2023 that she had had “serious conversations with a couple of Labour MPs” about a bid to represent an Essex constituency.
In 2024, she helped Thames Valley Police launch a campaign about sexual consent titled Consent Conservations.
Harrison explored the prevalence of deepfakes and image-based sexual abuse in an ITV documentary titled Georgia Harrison: Porn, Power, Profit, which was released earlier in the year.
As well as Love Island, she has taken part in reality TV shows including Celebrity Ex On The Beach and Channel 4 reality show Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, which she won with boxer Lani Daniels.
In April, she announced she was expecting her first child with her partner Jack Stacey.
