She stole Matty Johnson’s heart tonight on the finale of The Bachelor Australia, sending runner-up Elise Stacy packing. But now, jewellery designer Laura Byrne admits she’s already having second thoughts.
Chatting to TV WEEK, the 31-year-old revealed she’s found the past few months living life in the public eye very difficult. At times, she’s even feared for her safety.
“That was the hardest part,” Laura says.
Laura won Matty J’s heart
“When you’re new to this life and your friends aren’t used to seeing you in magazines, they send you things. So, as much as I tried to avoid it, I would get sent things all the time.”
While Laura, who was tipped to win from the get-go, says she doesn’t let too much get to her, at times it all became too much.
“I feel like I had it a little bit worse than Matty there for a little while,” Laura says of the attention she’s attracted since filming of the reality show ended.
“There was one day where I had three cars following me from the minute I woke up to the minute I went to bed. I felt like my privacy had been taken away from me and I wasn’t quite prepared for that to be so swift.”
Matty confessed his love Laura on tonight’s finale
With Matty and Laura both residing in Sydney’s Bondi, the lovebirds admit keeping their romance under wraps wasn’t easy.
In fact, the couple once accidentally bumped into each other at the gym. Luckily, no one noticed!
“It was before the show went to air. We just looked at each other and didn’t speak and worked out across the room from one another,” Laura laughs, adding her code name for Matty is Derek.
Meanwhile Matty, 31, has Laura saved in his phone as Cindy.
So did Laura watch this season of The Bachelor? She certainly did!
“There’s never been anything that I’ve seen that has upset me or that I had been unprepared for,” Laura says, adding she and Matty haven’t kept in touch with runner-up Elise.
“I haven’t spoken to Elise,” Matty says.
WATCH: Matty and Laura kiss (story continues after video)
“A couple of the girls sent me a message for my birthday which was nice but that’s it,” he continued.
And as for moving in together, the lovebirds aren’t in any rush.
“Because we live in the same suburb we don’t have to rush it,” Laura says.
“We’re just looking forward to spending time together.”
Matty and Laura’s final rose ceremony took them to Thailand
So much so that Matty is planning on introducing Laura to his little nephew George for the first time this weekend.
“I haven’t met George yet so I’m very excited. He is very cute,” Laura adds.
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