SACKED Apprentice star Philip Taylor felt a bigger loser than Pants Man when telly love Kate Walsh turned on him in the boardroom-moments after he'd turned her on outside it.

Cocky Philip was left heartbroken after being secretly seduced by wonder woman Kate during Sir Alan Sugar's reality show and then DUMPED to boost her chances of making the final.

But speaking for the first time about the forbidden relationship that enraged Sir Alan, Philip reveals how he won Kate BACK after the pair realised they were madly in love.

In an exclusive interview with the News of the World, the 29-year-old County Durham lad admits: "My relationship with Kate cost me The Apprentice title - but it was worth it.

Pants

"I may not have a job for life but Sir Alan's given me the woman of my life. He was my very own Cilla Black!"

And the brainchild behind bonkers business superhero Pants Man admits: "I'm usually the alpha male in a relationship - but Kate wears the pants in ours."

Until now the details of how the love-struck pair fell for each other while competing for a £100,000 job with the Amstrad tycoon on the hit BBC show have been kept under wraps.

But now, Philip - fired during Wednesday night's nail-biting episode - can reveal how he and Kate:

• SMOOCHED for the first time just seconds before facing Sir Alan's wrath in the boardroom.
• CANOODLED behind the fridge before being caught by gay contestant Howard Ebison.
• WRESTLED and flirted in front of other candidates as the sexual tension between them grew.
• HELD BACK from doing the business in the Penthouse for fear of tainting their reputations.

Although the couple are now smitten, it could have been a love lost for Philip if Kate had stuck to her earlier decision to END their relationship during the competition.

He explains: "During a break in filming I took Kate to a restaurant and she finished with me.

"She was very wary of what was going on and didn't want to compromise her integrity. Obviously I was upset but I understood.

"I always hoped that she would regret it in the end and come round - and I was right!

"She said she missed me and wanted me back. I think it was partly down to a CD I made for her, which she kept listening to.

"It was rare for Kate to let her guard down but now we're completely in love. I've never met a girl like her."

Philip - who claims: "Business is the new Rock & Roll and I'm Elvis Presley!" - reckons it was love at first sight with leggy licensing development manager Kate, 27.

Just weeks before Elvis left the boardroom for good, he set eyes on Kate for the first time. At that moment, Phil admits his life changed. "I remember looking around the boardroom and seeing Kate's smile ring out at me," recalls Philip.

"I thought she was gorgeous - she blew my mind. For a moment I thought she might not look twice at a guy like me from Durham in a £25 suit from Tesco. But when we spoke there was an instant attraction."

To begin with, Philip tried to control his strong feelings for Kate, instead focusing on getting into Sir Alan's good books.

He adds: "Ben and Rocky would flirt with Kate in the Penthouse and I thought to myself, 'I'd never be that stupid.'

"But as time went on, I let my guard down - and I did it in true Phil fashion. I'm a hopeless romantic.

"My brain was telling me not to do anything but it felt so intense."

Things began heating up for the couple at a victory barbecue following Team Ignite's successful exercise machine task. Philip recalls: "Me and Kate were outside enjoying a few beers and bonding over our love of Bruce Springsteen and Jerry Maguire.

"There was a lot of flirting and touching going on between us, which was very sexy."

It was the next morning when pretty boy Philip asked Kate to apply make-up to his face to stop him looking tired in front of the cameras, something that soon became a daily ritual for the budding love birds.

"It was brilliant for us to have that moment together before we were separated for the tasks," adds Philip.

Tension

He went on to describe how the sexual tension between the two continued to grow - and soon became apparent to the other contestants.

Philip says: "The energy between us grew at night times. We'd do daft things like roll around on the sofa and wrestle each other. We did it in front of the other contestants - it was obvious something was going on."

And it wasn't long before the touchy-feely flirting led to a passionate clinch - seconds before they were sent in to see Sir Alan!

"I had a great idea before we went in," chuckles Philip. "The cameras were off so I asked a crew member to tell Kate to close her eyes. I then snuck across to her, leaned in and we kissed for the first time. It was a long, lingering smooch and I got a huge smile out of her. No one saw and Sir Alan was none the wiser."

Things continued at another party at the London Penthouse where the contestants were staying.

Phil says: "We were pumping out a Kings Of Leon tune, Sex On Fire, and I saw Kate sitting in our egg-chair with Noorul.

"I went over there and gave him his marching orders before squeezing in next to Kate. I twisted the chair around so the others couldn't see us and went in for another kiss.

"This one was a real good kiss too, a proper snog. When we got the kiss out of the way, we couldn't keep our hands off each other.

"We snuck off behind the fridge together to shield us from the guys. Sadly, Howard busted us and screeched when he saw what was going on. The cat was out of the bag from that night on."

Romeo Philip later gave Kate a one-on-one show - singing Oasis songs to the blushing blonde.

"We were hanging out in the kitchen and she asked me to sing a song. She quite liked it," admits Philip. "We didn't end up in the same bed though. We'd only known each other for a short time and I don't expect women to jump into bed with me straight away."

And despite Kate's close friend Howard warning her to stay away from Phil, the couple soon became inseparable.

Phil adds: "I knew I was caught up in something strong when I started to miss Kate when we weren't together on tasks. Every emotion is ten times stronger on that show - but I realised I was in love with her."

Thong

Philip and Kate did not have sex in the TV house but sometimes jumped into bed together - once with fellow candidate Debra. Philip explains: "There was one afternoon where it was me, Kate and Debra in the same bed together. We were knackered and just wanted to sleep. Nothing went on."

Things got so serious between Philip and Kate that he was even introduced to her parents during a break in filming.

He says: "She spent some time with her folks in the Midlands and then drove up to stay at my place in Durham. I took her into town and she came to see me sing at a local club. I also met her parents. Her mum bought me three pairs of pants and a silk thong to break the ice."

But soon after that Kate called time on the relationship to concentrate on the show.

During this period, a gutted Phil saw another girl while in Durham, which he told Kate about.

But when filming resumed, the fiery blonde insisted she would be ruthless with Philip if they ended up head-on in the boardroom.

And last week it happened. Viewers watched as geeky project manager Lorraine spilled the beans to Sir Alan about the secret romance between Philip and Kate.

Then, to save her own bacon, Kate plunged the knife into her man's back, saying: "I've got no loyalties here, Philip or otherwise. It wasn't Philip's strongest task. I think he took a step back - he was quiet."

Describing all the finger-pointing and back-stabbing, Philip says: "Lorraine was completely two-faced and had a split personality.

"She'd been the first one to work out what was going on between me and Kate. She held on to that information so she could save herself in the boardroom.

"I had a tear in my eye when I left. As much as Kate was hurting inside she wouldn't let anyone see it.

"She just threw her arms around me and whispered, 'See ya, mate.'"

But Philip left Kate a note back in the Penthouse which read: "You can go on and win this. You've got nothing stopping you now. Forever thinking of you. Love Philip."

Smitten

And the smitten businessman had later found a letter from Kate to comfort him during his black-cab ride of shame home.

"Devastated you're gone," it said. "Look forward to seeing you so we can spend proper time together."

Philip also translated the lyrics of an OPERA song called Vida Garman for his new love - because he thinks the storyline mirrors their courtship.

He says: "The song is about how this guy sees this girl walk by and he falls blindly in love with her.

"In his dream that night he presents his heart in flames to this girl and she eats it.

"I fell blindly in love with Kate. I'm head over heels. I may not have the job - but I've got something much better."

• I was a love cod
• Sugar star ate my goldfish
• Debra BARE
• Keep yer pants on!
• Hire Kate Fire Yas

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