Grunt in peace, the pig that won George's heart

But only now, at the age of 45, has his heart been broken.

Not by some screen siren or magazine model, but by the death of Max, his pet Vietnamese potbellied pig.

Clooney was so devoted to the 21-stone porker that he once joked he would marry him if he could get him into a wedding dress.

Max, who has had the run of the actor's Hollywood Hills mansion for the past 18 years and even slept in his bed, was blamed for scuppering at least one relationship.

In an interview with the newspaper USA Today, Clooney revealed that he heard the bad news while he was away from home promoting his film The Good German.

"He was as old a pig as the vets had ever seen," he said. "I was really surprised, because he's been a big part of my life. He just died, like an hour ago.

"It has been a bad year for my pets. I had a bulldog that died this year too. It's strange how animals become a big part of your family."

Clooney bought Max for his then girlfriend Kelly Preston 18 years ago. When she left, later to marry John Travolta, the pig stayed.

Max, who had arthritis and was partially blind, would squeal nonstop at Clooney every morning until he was fed. Visitors often had to step over the beast, whose owner referred to him as "Max, the star."

Despite dating the likes of Renee Zellweger, Mariella Frostrup and Lisa Snowdon, Clooney, who was briefly married before he found fame in the TV series ER, has vowed never to give up his bachelor status. His mansion has eight bedrooms - one each for him and his seven best male buddies - and he says he likes nothing better than drinking Guinness, playing darts and watching TV with them.

In 1996 there were rumours that he was about to marry French law student Celine Balitran, whom he met when she was a waitress serving him drinks in a Paris bar, but Max was said to have come between them after Clooney refused to keep the pig outside.

Clooney's only concession was to suggest banning Max from the bedroom and swimming pool, but this was not enough for Miss Balitran, who left.

Last year Clooney was infuriated by media reports which mistakenly said Max had died, and said at the time: "It's him I've had the longest relationship of my life with."

He even credited the pig with saving his life by waking him up before an earthquake. He said: "About three minutes before, Max woke me up and kept nudging me, like he was trying to warn me. That's how smart he is."

Two years ago, after he split from actress Krista Allen, he joked to friends that if he could get Max into a wedding dress he would marry him "because that way people might stop going on at me about settling down."

Clooney has no plans to replace his exotic pet, saying: "I think Max covered all my pig needs."