She had a rocky romance with Brooks Ayers for nearly five years, and before that was married and divorced twice.
But Vicki Gunvalson told Daily Mail Australia on Friday that she has moved past her heartbreak and is ‘incredibly in love’ with boyfriend-of-two-years Steve Lodge.
The Real Housewives of Orange County star said that her current relationship is all about honesty, having realised that she ‘wasn’t going to put up with any bulls**t’.
EXCLUSIVE: ‘I wasn’t going to put up with any bulls**t’: Vicki Gunvalson, 56, has revealed that she is ‘incredibly in love’ with Steve Lodge (both pictured)
‘I’m just incredibly in love [with Steve]. I definitely got a quality man which I wanted and prayed for, after what I’d been through in my marriages and past relationships,’ Vicki, 56, said, while promoting season 13 on hayu.
‘It was something that was so refreshing. I’m just extremely happy and fortunate [dating Steve],’ the reality TV personality added.
Referring to what she no longer accepts in relationships, Vicki went on to say: ‘I think for me, I wasn’t going to put up with any bulls**t. I wanted to be completely honest.’
![Vicki said: 'I'm just incredibly in love [with Steve]. I definitely got a quality man which I wanted and prayed for, after what I'd been through in my marriages and past relationships'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/07/20/07/4E6CC97800000578-5973251-Vicki_said_I_m_just_incredibly_in_love_with_Steve_I_definitely_g-a-68_1532068676345.jpg)
Vicki said: ‘I’m just incredibly in love [with Steve]. I definitely got a quality man which I wanted and prayed for, after what I’d been through in my marriages and past relationships’
Marriage is definitely on the cards for the couple, but when the time is right.
‘We do talk about marriage. Our goal is to be married but when the time is right. We’re not going to rush it. But we will hopefully be married because that’s the end result. I don’t want to date just to date,’ Vicki said.
Fans of the reality TV franchise will have to sit tight as to whether the nuptials will be played out on screen.
‘I don’t know [if we will televise it]. I guess we’ll have to see when we get engaged. We’ve both been married a couple of times before, so it’s not going to be a big do.
![Nuptials: 'We do talk about marriage. Our goal is to be married but when the time is right,' Vicki told Daily Mail Australia](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/07/20/07/4E6CC93C00000578-5973251-Nuptials_We_do_talk_about_marriage_Our_goal_is_to_be_married_but-a-66_1532068675605.jpg)
Nuptials: ‘We do talk about marriage. Our goal is to be married but when the time is right,’ Vicki told Daily Mail Australia
‘I picture it with our family and friends, and I don’t know if it will be on TV. We have to really think about that,’ Vicki continued.
Vicki dated Brooks Ayers for nearly five years, with their rocky relationship played out on The Real Housewives of Orange County.
Brooks found himself at the centre of controversy in 2013 when he faked a cancer diagnosis.
![Former flame: Vicki dated Brooks Ayers [pictured] for nearly five years, with their rocky relationship played out on The Real Housewives of Orange County](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/07/20/07/4E6CC96C00000578-5973251-Former_flame_Vicki_dated_Brooks_Ayers_pictured_for_nearly_five_y-a-69_1532068676428.jpg)
Former flame: Vicki dated Brooks Ayers [pictured] for nearly five years, with their rocky relationship played out on The Real Housewives of Orange County
The medical sales representative later admitted to fabricating medical documents about a non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis to Us Weekly in March 2016.
Brooks and Vicki split in August 2015 after years of quarreling, and Vicki began dating Steve, a retired homicide detective in April 2016.
Vicki has been married twice, to Donn Gunvalson and Michael J Wolfsmith.
The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 13 streams on hayu every Tuesday, same day as the U.S.
![Rocky romance: Brooks and Vicki split in August 2015 after years of quarreling, and Vicki began dating Steve, a retired homicide detective in April 2016](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/07/20/07/4E6CC95E00000578-5973251-Rocky_romance_Brooks_and_Vicki_split_in_August_2015_after_years_-a-67_1532068676344.jpg)
Rocky romance: Brooks and Vicki split in August 2015 after years of quarreling, and Vicki began dating Steve, a retired homicide detective in April 2016