Feisty Apprentice star Jennifer Maguire has hit back at rumours linking her to RTE's Ryan Tubridy.

The attractive brunette set tongues wagging after being spotted enjoying a drink with the broadcaster in a Dublin pub recently.

But Jennifer told the Diary that any suggestions she and Tubridy are "doing a line" are well off the mark.

"I have had a boyfriend for ages," she exclaimed. "We've been going out for three years and we're very happy together. Ryan and I are just friends, he's a good guy -- but there's nothing more to it."

She's obviously still loved-up with her Italian actor boyfriend Lau Zamparelli, whom she met through a theatre company that Jennifer set up in Bristol.

The ambitious Dubliner has been conducting a long-distance romance with her other half since returning to her home city a few months ago to start a new business.

She has now poured her considerable energies into her new makeover studio, Bella, which helps Irish women to revamp their image.

Advice

Jennifer said that the recession certainly hasn't started to bite as far as she's concerned -- and has some stern advice on how to combat the downturn.

"Things are going really good. We're just about to launch our own make-up range so that's great," she continued.

"To be honest, I just try to ignore the downturn as best I can. The only way to get out of it is to start the spending again. Money won't do anything sitting in the bank.

"People should be encouraged to go shopping and go out to restaurants again and book their holidays as usual because that's the only way that things will pick up."

Jennifer has also been glued to the Irish version of The Apprentice on TV3, with Bill Cullen in the lead role.

While describing the true-blue Dub as "much nicer" than Alan Sugar, she still reckons the eventual winner will be a lady.

"It's definitely going to be a female, that's blatantly obvious. All the Irish women look fantastic, are articulate and are a very impressive bunch.

"But these candidates were described as the cream of the crop in Ireland and while that's definitely true with the girls, it's not the case with the guys.

"I don't know if a lot of the Irishmen were too embarrassed to go for it, but the male contestants are all useless.

"The only one that stands out for me is Mark and that's for all the wrong reasons. He looks like a passionate guy and we need to see more of that."

Cullen

"Bill Cullen is nicer than Alan and he's very down to earth. But he must have an eye for the ladies as he fired Ciara last week and kept the good-looking one Orla which was a mistake," she said before Orla's dismissal.

"The one that has impressed me is Brenda -- she's consistently good and is very professional. She could definitely win it."

-- MF