The South African model spoke glowingly about her new romance with Pistorius, saying how much she “respects and admires” him. But she told how she feared that negative publicity could prove damaging to his career on the track. She confessed: “We haven’t been talking to the media because I don’t want to get it tainted. I don’t want anything coming in the way of his career. He’s such an amazing athlete.” She added: “You know what they do, they make things up, ‘Reeva cheats on Oscar’ and rubbish like that. “I wouldn’t want lies about us jeopardising it.”

Steenkamp also told how she wanted to move away from bikini shoots and become known for classier work. In the interview with heat Magazine, he said: “I’m trying to work on my modelling career and remove myself from the whole FHM stigma. I want to be seen as a classic model.”

heat South Africa editor, Andre Neveling, says: “Our publication had a very good relationship with both Oscar and Reeva, and as a couple they agreed to do an exclusive cover shoot with heat in April. During this candid one-on-one with heat seven days before her death, Reeva opened up for the first time about her blossoming romance.”

The full interview with Steenkamp is published in heat magazine, on shelf from Friday, 22 February.