“He could have killed me.” Tracey Jewel reflects on the worst night of her life.

Married at First Sight contestant Tracey Jewel has opened up about her own experiences with domestic violence, reflecting on the abusive relationship that almost cost her her life.

Every week, on average, one woman in Australia is killed at the hands of her current or former partner, and a staggering one-in-three women have experienced sexual or physical violence perpetrated by someone known to them. Jewel has shared her story to mark Domestic and Family Violence Awareness Month,

“When I look back now, I can see all the warning signs. It was my first relationship, so I didn’t have a benchmark compare him to. You can look back on it and think ‘I get it now’,” the 36-year-old said in a recent interview with news.com.au 

“He was always apologetic. Always full of apologies. Was always sorry. But it was actually that last time when I realised he could have killed me and that’s not an exaggeration.”

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Tracey recalls the night she almost lost her life, and says she’ll ‘never forget it’.

‘Things would escalate into an arm grab or a forceful hold, but not a hit. He would push my head into the wall or push me off a chair. ‘

But the turning point for Tracey was when he slammed her head into the floor with her ponytail, causing her to blackout for a short period of time.

When she came to, she picked herself up off the floor and knew she had to get away from him. So she fought back.

‘There’s just no going back from that point,” she said.

Tracey hopes that by speaking out about her own experiences, it will encourage women in similar situations to seek help before it’s too late.

“We all have choices. We always have a choice. You’re not stuck in anything.”

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800 RESPECT for 24/7 support.