ITV weather presenter Ruth Dodsworth has revealed the harrowing details of her abusive marriage in an emotional This Morning interview.
Ruth, 45, best known for hosting on Cymru Wales, joined hosts Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes, before a phone-in on controlling relationships to open up about the horrific abuse she suffered at the hands of her now ex-husband Jonathan Wignall.
The couple were together for 18 years but Wignall is now behind bars after being sentenced to three years in prison just last week on one count of coercive and controlling behaviour and stalking.
Ruth told Phillip and a visibly upset Rochelle she never expected details of the court case to be made public as she explained just how frightening things got.
She told them: "It has been the hardest time, but in hindsight it has been the best thing that has happened.
"I was married to this man for 18 years, you make excuses, you try to justify and you plaster a smile on your face."
"At it's worst, just under two years ago I'd been in work and during that week he had been phoning me hundreds and hundreds of time a day, and that particular day he started drinking early in the day and by the time my children got home from school they were phoning me and saying, mum don't come home, he's going to kill you'.
Some of Wignall's controlling abuse would involve him slapping Ruth to wake her up if she ever fell asleep first and holding her thumb to her phone so he could access it using finger print ID.
Describing the turning point of their relationship after her children thought she'd be killed, Ruth added: "For me that was the turning point, I didn't go home that night because I think if I had, I wouldn't be here now in any shape or form."
"It took confiding to someone else for them to say, 'if you don't call the police, I will', and that really changed everything."
After Wignall was sent down last week, Ruth took to Twitter to post: "I'd just like to say, from the bottom of my heart - thank you. I'm overwhelmed by the love and support.
"I never wanted my story to be public. On reflection I'm glad. Because if just one person can relate, can feel assured that they are not alone.. then it has all been worth it."
