Bachelorette Ceri McVinnie stunned audiences when she revealed that she had previously been in an abusive relationship, in the first episode of The Bachelor NZ.
The brave beauty has no regrets about sharing such personal information on national TV and has now gone into detail about her turbulent past with Woman's Day magazine, as well as sharing her hopes for love with this year's Bachelor, Jordan Mauger.
In an emotional interview, McVinnie revealed that she was emotionally and physically abused, spat on, beaten and manipulated at the hands of a former boyfriend, whom she stayed with for three years.
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McVinnie finally got out of the abusive relationship when the police became involved after her ex tried to strangle her.
"It took me a while to accept that it wasn't my fault," told Woman's Day, "He really got into my head. I thought, 'I've got to stay with this guy because no-one else is ever going to love me. Now I look back and wonder how I ever thought like that because, as clichéd as it sounds, the world is my oyster."
After regaining her confidence McVinnie - an early childhood teacher and former Miss Tourism New Zealand pageant winner - says she's now ready to find love and she has high hopes that she will receive that final rose from Mauger - especially after their romantic date in Hawaii, which saw the pair take a scenic helicopter ride together.
"Whenever we are together, we always have a laugh," McVinnie gushed about the Bach, "He's really thoughtful and true to his word - he seems like a really genuine guy. I've been quite unlucky in the past. I'm a trusting person and I look for the good in everyone. But I knew that whoever was picked to be the Bachelor would be a pretty stand-up guy and I can't wait to get to know him a little better."
- nzherald.co.nz