The 41-year-old was speaking out for the first time since her bitter divorce from her husband Michael, who left her for former employee Samantha Bunn.

The mother-of-three was forced to buy Mr Mone out of the family's Ultimo underwear business in a £24m deal when their marriage ended in December 2011.

Soon after, he announced he was setting up a rival firm with Ms Bunn as chief lingerie designer.

Ms Mone said: "As everything fell apart I would open a bottle of wine and then it would be gone.