Former The Challenge competitor Stephen Bear revealed he’s getting an early prison release date this month, and it will arrive just a few days after his birthday.
The reality TV star was found guilty last year of voyeurism and two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films.
Those images and videos featured his ex-girlfriend, fellow Challenge contestant Georgia Harrison, and were recorded unbeknownst to her while she was on his property.
The content was then shared to a subscription-based explicit content platform in 2020, allegedly without Georgia’s permission.
Based on a social media post on Bear’s account, he will be released on January 17, just two days after his 34th birthday.
If accurate, he will have served just over half of his 21-month sentence under the revenge porn act.
Stephen Bear polled fans about his early release
It’s unknown who posted the message on Bear’s X (formerly Twitter) page, but a post was uploaded in which he indicates his January 17 release from Brixton prison.
“Can’t wait to get my life back on track. Who’s excited to see me?” part of his tweet said.
It also includes a poll with two options: “I can’t wait to see you” and “I’d rather watch paint dry.”
As of this writing, Bear’s poll had over 8,600 votes and one day left before it ended. Over 81 percent of the votes were for the second option on his poll.
According to The Mirror, Bear began his sentence at HMP Chelmsford and was paid less than five pounds weekly to package tea and coffee for other prisoners. He was eventually transferred to HMP Brixton, and his weekly earnings increased to eight pounds as he worked at the prison gym.
The Mirror also included a quote from an undisclosed inside source, seeming to confirm Bear’s early prison release.
“Stephen has served his time and he’s due out of prison in the next few weeks. However, he’s been telling pals he’s not the same man that went into prison,” the insider said.
“There will be no hopping back on to social media or rolling straight back into the nearest nightclub when he gets out, he says he just wants to get back to east London and his family. Obviously, time will tell if he has changed his ways,” the source shared.
Bear’s girlfriend dumped him during prison sentence
Ahead of Bear’s trial and sentencing, he dated online model Jessica Smith and often posted photos and videos of her on social media. The couple also posted explicit content together, with Bear seeming to cash in on subscription-based platforms.
Per The Sun, Smith had vowed to stick with Bear “through thick and thin” but dumped him in September 2023 as he served his prison sentence. According to the publication, she told friends that she’d “come to her senses” and her relationship with Bear was “fake and toxic.”
“It took me a while to realize, but it’s all been fake and toxic with Stephen. I’m better off without him and I’m looking forward to moving on with my life,” Bear’s ex told friends, per The Sun.
In addition, she reportedly wiped her social media of all content featuring Bear and blocked his number to cut ties with him while he was in prison. The Mirror indicated that Smith also started dating a new man and has been seen out on dates with him.
In addition to his prison sentence, Bear reportedly had to pay over 207,000 pounds to Georgia for damages, including breach of privacy. That forced him to sell his home for extra funds to pay for the damages.
The sale of Bear’s home forced Smith to move out as she’d been living at his residence. News of their breakup arrived six weeks later, as Bear was in prison.
Bear, initially a Celebrity Big Brother UK 18 contestant, appeared in three seasons of The Challenge, beginning with War of the Worlds. He returned for War of the Worlds 2, and his final season of the show arrived with Total Madness.
The Challenge: Battle For a New Champion airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.
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