Ann Summers tycoon reveals poisoned soup horror

“I didn’t know it was screenwash but I knew I had swallowed a chemical,” she said.

“First of all there was this fear – what have I swallowed? Then I suddenly realised that she had my daughter with her.

“I have to say that was the worst three hours of my life.”

Ms Gold’s nanny, Allison Cox, was jailed for 12 months on Friday after admitting attempting to poison the lingerie tycoon with screenwash in order to get Ms Gold’s chef, with whom she did not get on, sacked.

The businesswoman told Daybreak: “First of all she spiked my food with salt and I suspected there was something. It didn’t seem like over-zealous seasoning.

“Then the second time it was sugar and then I knew there was something wrong because everyone in the household knows I can’t eat sugar.

“Allison and I had a very good relationship, it was quite bizarre. I knew she didn’t get on with the cook but I had no idea it was this bad.

“She had already resigned at this point and had certainly never cited the cook as a reason for her leaving.

“To then go on and try and get the cook into trouble, which is what she was trying to do, it is completely bizarre.”

Ms Gold described Cox as “warm and engaging” when she first employed her to look after her daughter, Scarlett, and said her behaviour came as “a complete shock”.

The Ann Summers boss was shown a video clip of Cox speaking before she was jailed, visibly showing regret over her actions.

“I can see there that she obviously showing remorse but that’s the first time I’ve seen it,” Ms Gold said.

“It was just two people that didn’t get on. It happens in the workplace, not everyone gets on with each other. To go to this extreme was totally irrational.

“I took Allison on in the first place because my son was ill at the time and I needed extra support.

“Of course it’s difficult to trust other people. I have actually got another nanny now who’s really supportive, but you can’t help but always feel concerned when she’s on her own.”