Claire Young, runner-up in BBC1's 'The Apprentice' series 2008, had a fling with Zara Phillip's boyfriend Mike Tindall

She might be disappointed to have lost out at the eleventh hour in The Apprentice, but it is not the first time star Claire Young has been second best.

The runner-up, who lost out to Lee 'The Liar' McQueen in the Apprentice final this week, has revealed how she had a passionate fling with Zara Phillips's rugby-playing boyfriend.

But the bossy former retail buyer, who 
was nicknamed The Rottweiler for her
ability to ferociously pursue her aims, says was left heartbroken when randy Mike Tindall told her he wanted to play the field.

“I was completely besotted but he had an army of girls who wanted him,” she told The News of the World.

“Mike had an amazing body and was the most brilliant kisser.”

Claire, who’s still friends with Mike, tells how she fell for him when she was just 16 at a private school in Wakefield and he was at the school opposite.

“We started by snogging behind the bike shed,” she said.

“We’d just got hormones and thought it was great. He was really funny and made me laugh. He still does.”

But the mouthy contestant, who used to work as a wild 18-30s club rep, soon recovered from the blow, and went on to score with a string of other rugby players.

Soon after Mike, she had a fling with a 25-year-old, 6ft 6ins rugby player and she snogged England captain Nick Easter, to name a few.

The happy couple: Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall cuddle up at an awards ceremony last year. Claire says they will get married

Claire says she and Mike made up years later and are now good friends.

She was there when Mike decided to stop being a player and get serious with Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Phillips.

He made up his mind after a big night out when he’d ended up sleeping with one of her friends, she said.

“He was terrible at the time, a real playboy. But on the Sunday, he went, ‘you know what, I’ve had enough of this. I’ve realized how much I want to be with Zara," she said.

“It took a tough and gorgeous woman like Zara to tame him. They’re definitely going to get married.”