"You're like a caged rat." Stu Laundy says his romance with Sophie Monk was heavily edited.

When Sophie Monk wandered onto our screens on The Bachelorette in the pursuit of love in 2017, Stu Laundy answered.

The couple have since separated, and it’s been two years since the publican has been on our television screens, but last night the former reality TV star told Australia what really went on during his time on The Bachelorette.

Speaking to Channel Seven’s Sunday Night on Sunday, Stu explained he was persuaded to appear on the reality TV show as he believed, even in the worst-case scenario, his appearance would boost business for his hotels.

"I went on The Bachelorette looking for love," Stu said.

"But at the end of the day, I am also a third generation publican and a businessman, and I didn't think it would be a bad thing. Any exposure to some of our hotels with the crowd that watches those shows, I can't lie, I had one eye on that as well," he added.

The divorced father-of-four explained that he thought he would be in control of his own narrative on the show, but that he quickly realised he was being manipulated.

"You are like a caged rat, in there not knowing what's going on in society. Then they throw you onto a date, you get two minutes at a time with Soph. There's no chatting to Sophie when it's not on camera. They want the whole relationship to develop on camera," he said, adding that all camera time was mixed with alcohol.

"Then you have producers pulling a thread with emotions," he added.

But regardless of how well-behaved he was in front of the camera, Stu claims the producers would manufacture whatever story they liked in the editing suite later.

He said during his Sophie's visit with his family, the producers encouraged Stu's sister Justine to ask Sophie if she was chasing the family fortune. Although she refused, the producers created the moment anyway.

"My sister didn’t ask the question, but when it was actually on TV, somehow they cut and pasted words of my sister’s from the night and the question was asked," he said.

In April last year, Stu spoke to the Daily Mail about the reasons why his relationship with Sophie Monk came to an end.

“The thing is, what I saw was humour and friendship,” Stu told the publication. “And the way the show plays out, in the bubble you’re in, it’s easy to confuse your feelings.”

Stu said he was very proud of Sophie and he was sure the two would be “mates forever”.

When Sophie announced their breakup in January 2018, she said she and Stu were just “very different people”.

Sophie Monk talks to Mamamia about cheating. Post continues after video. 

“I don’t know how to explain this because it’s an unusual circumstance to be in…” Monk shared with her 473,000 Instagram followers.

“But because I entered this relationship so publicly, I know I owe an answer to Australia about my personal life.

“I went into this experience looking to settle down and start a family. I gave it the best shot I could and my intentions were everything I said I was looking for, but unfortunately it just didn’t work out.”

“There were no contracts or pressure to stay together whatsoever from anyone and we remain friends,” she wrote.

The entertainer said the whole experience taught her how “jump out of my comfort zone to find real love”.

“I hope I haven’t disappointed anyone,” she wrote.