Naked and Afraid contestants run the gamut from the hardcore survivalists to the wannabe adventurer. And then, we have Steven Lee Hall Jr., the quintessential survivalist whose wicked humor makes navigating rattlesnakes and leeches in the wild seem like such a breeze.
Throughout his appearances on Naked & Afraid (2013) and Naked & Afraid XL (2015 & 2022) on the Discovery Channel, Hall made quite an impression with his lasting power and unpretentious survival skills.
From swimming in shark-infested water to losing a tooth and enduring a leech attack, he left fans of the American reality television show wondering whether he got hurt and if he would recover.
So, if you are one of those who’ve wondered what happened to Steven Hall Jr. on Naked and Afraid, we have all the deets for you. Read on to find out more about the unscripted television star!
Who is Steven Lee Hall Jr?
Steven Lee Hall Jr. is popularly known for his role in Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid challenge as a superbly skilled survivalist. Born in Amarillo, Texas, to Debbie and Steven Sr., Steven Jr. acquired his survival skills early in life.
He and his family later moved to Orlando, Florida, closer to his grandparents. Steven’s dad and grandfather were instrumental in teaching him the survival skills he would later use as a standout contestant on the Discovery Channel reality tv show.
Before joining Naked and Afraid, Hall worked as a bartender in several bars in downtown Orlando, Florida. The expert survivor is also a self-taught artist who has painted many murals and thousands of canvases under the pseudonym Nevets Killjoy.
Steven Jr.’s wife is Jenniffer Negron, to whom he got married in 2018 after two years of dating. According to Ms. Negron, when Hall proposed, he said, “She is the love of my life, and Amarillo is now as special to her as it is for me.”
Steven Hall Jr. Lost a Tooth on The Show
Season 8 of Naked and Afraid XL premiered on May 1, 2022. The hit Discovery Channel series follows eight XL beginner contestants for a period of 40 days.
The show also features All-star survival experts, each looking to become a legend by taking on the epic 60-day challenge and successfully leading the other contestants to conquer their 40-day challenge in jungles.
In the series’ latest season, the survival experts are spread across hundreds of miles of the merciless Peruvian Amazon jungle.
Steven Hall is one of the cast members in the eighth season of Naked and Afraid XL. Despite his impressive survival skills, he is prone to injuries, accidents, and food poisoning, to say the least. An incident that stands out is one where he lost a tooth in one of the Naked and Afraid episodes.
Believe it or not, this is the fourth time the humorous contestant has lost a tooth! And, in his classic style, Stevn Jr. did not hesitate to put out a Facebook video of his missing tooth.
In the video, the expert survivalist said with a big grin, “I won’t fail.” He asserted that losing his tooth would not prevent him from going on with the epic 60-day challenge.
As you might imagine, fans were utterly shocked by Steven’s tooth loss. Still, his determination to take the unprecedented 60-day challenge and find his way in the wilderness was even more surprising.
He was very calm and even made jokes about the situation. The King of the Forest once again proved that he was cut out for this stuff, making him ever-more popular among fans.
Obviously, after losing his teeth, everyone wondered whether he was doing well. The good news is that Steven is in good health, and while losing his tooth hurt, it didn’t take a big toll on his wellbeing.
Well, fans were definitely impressed, saying that Steven’s tooth loss was a great way to wrap up the eighth season. In the final episode, the pro survivalist said, in a show of bravado, “I am a big deal.”
Wow! This statement attracted uproar from Hall’s popular fans, who cheered him on to the last minute.
Ultimately, Steven Hall Jr. succeeded in the strenuous challenge, upping his current survival status. There were speculations that Steven lost a tooth because he was deprived of nutrients in his diet.
But, in his usual rejoinder, the survivalist joked on Facebook, asking if his fans knew any good dentists.
So, if you wondered what happened to Steven Lee Hall Jr’s teeth and whether he got hurt, now you know that he lost his fourth tooth in a row, and yes, he did get hurt, but that did not stop him from nailing the challenge.
Leeches on My Dudeness: Steven Hall Jr. Suffered a Leech Attack
Aside from losing a tooth on Naked and Afraid XL, Steven Lee Hall also had a not-so-pleasant experience with a tiny but unforgiving member of the Amazon rainforest that caused him to rethink his survival priorities.
The survivalist was in waist-deep water baiting fishing hooks when a leech crept up on him and got hooked onto his penis!
Speaking to People, the professional television star said, “My whole life, I’ve been crotch-deep in swamps and murky waters, but a leech has never attacked my junk. So, this is the first leech I have ever had on me on any challenge, and now it goes to my junk. That’s no bueno.”
Amazonian leeches have numerous tiny teeth, which they use to hook themselves to the skin. The small rows of teeth also help the animals to drink the host’s blood.
Leeches should never be yanked off the skin because the sharp tiny teeth can tear the skin. If the teeth break off from the animal, they can be left on the skin, becoming embedded and increasing the risk for an infection.
Steven knew not to pull the leech off his junk, thanks to his survival skills. Instead, he used a piece of hot charcoal to burn the animal, causing it to release its grip.
Of course, bringing heat to his man parts was bad enough, but it was the better evil of choice between yanking out the leech and burning it.
“Not only do I have a leech on my dudeness, but I also have a burning stick that has to go next to my dudeness. That’s horror story stuff right there,” he explained.
So, was Steven Lee Hall Jr hurt when all this happened? Thankfully, he and his dudeness are in good shape, and nothing bad happened following that incident.
There is no doubt that Steven Jr. has been through a lot during his time on the Naked and Afraid series. What’s really impressive is that he has used his survival skills and wicked sense of humor to get through some of the most difficult terrains you can put a man.
Update: Steven has become a part of the ensemble for Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing. This fresh iteration of the franchise elevates the stakes, setting 12 of its most seasoned participants against each other in an intense 45-day survival test within the rugged terrain of South Africa’s Oribi Gorge.
Way to go, Steven Lee Hall Jr.!