Jenny Maguire (Pic:Jeremy Durkin)
Ice-maiden Jenny Maguire could shoot a man down with a glance - but today the Apprentice loser reveals how SHE was the victim of abuse at the hands of her fiance.
Jenny - given the boot in a double eviction on the show last week - says she feared she would die at one point during a long-term relationship with the brutal ex-lover.
In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Mirror, Jenny, who shocked millions with her manipulative tactics, said: "I know I come across as cold and tough on TV, but I've been the victim before. I was physically abused and I was terrified."
Jenny, 27, explained how the cruel ex-threatened to kill her by crashing a VW Golf into a wall.
He had flown into a rage after accusing her of flirting with a waiter.
The pair had spent a cosy evening together tucking into pasta and wine in an exclusive restaurant.
But as Jenny talked politely to restaurant staff, he became suspicious of her motives. When he drove them home later his jealous streak turned to violent fury.
She said: "He shouted at me, 'If you can't be honest, I'll kill us both.' He started revving the engine at a red light, drove through the traffic lights and sped towards a wall.
"His face was twisted in anger. I was so scared I couldn't even speak.
At the last second he swerved away.
We never talked about that night.
Stupidly I took him back and even agreed to marry him. He always said he was sorry, so I forgave him."
More than eight million viewers saw Jenny sacked from the hit BBC1 show along with redhead Jennifer Celerier, 36.
Tycoon Alan Sugar - who is offering the winning Apprentice a £100,000-a-year job - sacked the brunette for failing to take control of her team during a shambolic "treasure hunt" in Marrakech.
He also fired cheating Celerier after finding out she tried to bribe a shopkeeper to help them, not their rivals. Jenny said: "I was so disappointed to be fired - but I think that he was just evening out the numbers."
Despite her icy TV image, marketing consultant Jenny, who survived the boardroom once before, insists that in real life she is the victim, not a bully.
She claims to have suffered years of physical abuse from the man she was smitten with after they fell for each other when she was working for a sales company in Ireland.
She said: "Being in an abusive relationship has taught me to be a lot more resilient and wary of trusting people - and that's how I come across.
"Looking back at him it was infatuation rather than love. He was a real charmer. I fell in love with him the first time I met him. He was 6ft, a hunk and several years older than me."
She was wooed with flowers, meals out and love notes as they grew to know each when Jenny was selling £50-a-time discount vouchers on the street.
Dublin-born Jenny said: "On our first date in a restaurant, he told me he loved me. I was taken aback but he was passionate.
"I was head-over-heels, and we kissed, but I didn't sleep with him for two months. He was my first real boyfriend."
But within weeks, Jenny discovered a terrifying controlling streak in her man, who flew into violent rages when she spoke to other men.
She revealed: "One night we went to a party and I spent a lot of time talking to one of my male friends. He was furious. When we got back home I tried to give him a hug and he gave me a slap.
"Even though I was half-naked he threw me out of his flat. His flat mate had to let me back in. I couldn't go to work the next day. My eyes had ballooned from crying and I had a mark on my face.
"That night he came back home with a bunch of flowers and said he would get help. Stupidly I took him back every time."
Six months later, when former champion show jumper Jenny was offered a manager's job back in the UK, the pair moved and rented their own flat.
But the violence continued.
She said: "One night we were drunk and he pulled my hair. It escalated into a full-on scrap. There was no competition with a big 6ft man.
"We were both slapping each other.
I had bruises on my body but I hid them. I realise now he just wanted to break me down."
But Jenny had become hooked on their adventurous sex life and joint love of gambling in casinos.
She said: "Sex was passionate with him. We led the high life together. I got a taste for going to casinos. One night on holiday in the Caribbean we spent more than £1,000 - every last penny we had."
Jenny said: "One evening he handed me a box with a diamond ring - but he didn't get down on one knee. I said yes but I didn't really think too hard about it."
Jenny finally walked out on her brutal partner six months later when he smacked her around the head at the dinner table in front of someone else.
After a massive row, Jenny packed two bags and flew home to Dublin. She said: "It was a turning point. I was humiliated to be hit in front of another person and I'd learned how to fight back. We pulled a few punches on each other. I called my mum for the airfare home. It was the best decision I've ever made. I flew back to Dublin and tried to stay clear of men."
Jenny, who got her old marketing job back in Bristol and lived with friends, also revealed how she had a fling with footballer Junior Agogo in 2006.
The handsome Nottingham Forest striker met her while out drinking with pals. She said: "I met Junior in a bar and became great friends. Our affair only lasted a few weeks but it was great to be free and meet new, interesting people."
Convent-educated Jenny, the youngest of six brothers and sisters, told how she was attacked by bullies at her junior school.
She was picked on by a group of classmates for being "confident and outgoing".
She said: "I was physically sick at the school gates every morning - I was that scared.
"I used to wear a big duffel coat that didn't fit - we weren't well-off and I had hand me-downs.
They used to kick the s*** out of me for it. They also didn't like the fact that I was a confident kid who liked drama.
I hid my bruises and didn't tell the nuns. It made me determined to succeed.
"I met one of the bullies years later cleaning toilets at a hotel.
I pray that they saw me on The Apprentice."
Jenny, who has been dating handsome Italian actor Lau Zamparelli for two years, now has her sights set on becoming a millionaire and is opening a photographic makeover studio.
She said: "I want a break from boardroom bitching now. The show taught me I don't really like the corporate world. I can play tough but I want to do something artistic or with photography."
Still smarting from her ousting by Sir Alan, Jenny - once voted best saleswoman in Europe while working for an advertising firm in Belgium - slammed the tycoon for not thanking her for going on the show. And she reckons the multi-millionaire should have sacked telesales executive Michael Sophocles as well as Jennifer Celerier.
She said: "The only time I saw Sir Alan was in the boardroom. There was no handshakes, no niceties.
"He could have been polite and thanked all the contestants for resigning from their jobs and taking time away from their families to take part.
"He should have sacked Michael - the biggest back-stabber of them all ... and he's got bad breath."
Jenny also gave a fascinating insight into life in The Apprentice house - and claimed most nights the rivals would sit around drinking.
Little Britain look alike Kevin Shaw, who amused viewers when he fudged his role as head cook during the restaurant task, acted as chef and cooked the others Italian meals.
Jenny revealed her roommate Jennifer Celerier was obsessed with tidiness, just like Monica from the hit US soap Friends.
She said: "Outside the boardroom everyone was great fun. It was quite high stress which drove us to drink.
We got given wine, beer and whisky in the pantry and we would crack into it in the evening."
Jenny reckons she was "bit of a ringleader" but Lee was a good drinker too. "There would be dancing on the tables some nights," she admitted.
"Kevin cooked Italian for us, Sarah was a real sweetheart who lent me her hair-dryer and Jenny Celerier was obsessed with keeping everything ship-shape like Monica from Friends.
"It was a blast. I'll keep in touch with quite a lot of them.
"The Apprentice was like business boot camp. I've learnt a lot from Sir Alan. But if I'm true to myself, although I'm tough, I've also got a sensitive side."
Her verdict on the survivors:
ALEX WOTHERSPOON
Whiney and clearly misses his girlfriend.
Great determination to succeed and could do well if he listens to Sir Alan. My one gripe - he spent 45 minutes every day in the bathroom doing his hair.
SARAH DHADA
A clever girl. She's been criticised for being quiet and not a team player but she's actually very shrewd and intelligent.
In the house she was very sweet and lent me her hairdryer.
RAEF BJAYOU
You want Raef on your team. He's great fun, witty and very easy to work with - serious at decision-making and charismatic in the tasks, so he's got it all.
I would love him to win.
MICHAEL SOPHOCLES
Sleazy, sly and his breath smells of cabbage. I doubt that Michael wants to be Sir Alan's Apprentice - I think he just likes being on TV. I can't stand him...he should be fired.
Lee McQUEEN
He's passionate about winning and making the team work. He's a nice guy too. Behind the scenes he was one of the few you could really trust .Lee is in with a real chance.
HELENE SPEIGHT
Very intelligent, a good team player and she acted as big sister to everyone on the show. She's very much a "no-nonsense" person. Desperate to win - and she's likely to do it.
CLAIRE YOUNG
Bossy and gobby... she can be very unsupportive but her drive and ambition is second to none.
Outside work she loves to gossip and was always up for a bit of a party.
LUCINDA LEDGERWOOD
She pretends to be ditzy but she is well able to look after herself.
Lucinda is clever but her dress sense is the worst in the show. She needs to scrub up better if she wants to impress.
'I was half naked but he threw me out of the flat'; 'I've got a new man now ... he's an Italian actor; 'There were no niceties from Sir Alan .. no handshake'; 'I hid the bruises on on my body & learned to fight back '
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