Tinder Swindler victim goes on dating show to reignite love life
A WOMAN who was conned out of £250,000 by Tinder Swindler Shimon Hayut has signed up to a reality TV show to try to find love.
Cecilie Fjellhoy was one of countless women defrauded by Hayut, who posed as the son of a Russian-Israeli diamond mogul on the dating app. He became notorious earlier this year when Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler detailed how he tricked them into lending him money, having charmed them with lavish gifts such as trips on private jets, funded by cash he had conned out of other women under his Ponzi scheme.
But now Miss Fjellhoy, 27, is going on E4’s Celebs Go Dating – which pairs stars with non-celebrity partners – in the hope she can learn to trust men again. She said: ‘I know they’re going to push me, but I’m ready for it. I think I can learn a lot from it so I’m going to try to be as open as I can.’
The Norwegian added that since being stung by Hayut, ‘I am more guarded and there are still some trust issues, but I’m trying, when I meet new people, to remember it’s not their fault, it’s his fault’.
‘And I think because of how I was defrauded – so over-the-top, private jets all these type of things – I don’t think I’ll be in that situation ever again. People might not realise I’m still feeling the impact of what happened. But I think you can try to heal and go into new relationships in a better way.’
Ms Fjellhoy – who will join the likes of Ulrika Jonsson and pop star Sinitta on the programme, which starts at 10pm tomorrow – also revealed that she confronted Hayut in June for an Israeli TV programme which is yet to air. She said: ‘It was intense. We did an ambush
‘It was very weird, but he looks a mess now... so that was very nice to see.’