Table of contents for 36 - 2016 in Best

Hands up, who loved Saturday’s first taste of Strictly? We’re fully behind singer and breast cancer survivor Anastacia (she’s very funny in person – she has ‘good banter’, as fellow contestant Melvin Odoom says). She’s brave, too, telling us she’s not ruled out ‘doing it for mastectomy girls’ by bearing the scars on her back. And she feels there’ll ‘definitely be tears’. We’re ‘Rooting for Rinder’, too – the Judge is hilarious. As he predicts, ‘It’s going to get seriously camp. I may even channel Liza [Minnelli]…’ And as for any low scores from Craig Revel Horwood, he says, ‘Frowning too much isn’t a good look, especially for a man of his age…’ Miaow! Meanwhile, we’re happy to announce that Tess has turned her frown upside down (page 8)…

When TV ratings winner Our Girl returns to our screens on Wednesday (BBC One, 9pm), there will be a new face risking it all on the front line. With Lacey Turner leaving the army drama to rejoin EastEnders, it has fallen to ex-Corrie star Michelle Keegan, 29, to fill her military-issue boots. And talented Michelle has proved herself more than able to pass muster in her new role as fearless medic Georgie Lane. Now rumour has it she’s in line to land a major movie role after being described by top Hollywood stunt co-ordinator Paul Pieterse as ‘better than Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron’. The showbiz veteran, who worked with Michelle on the Our Girl set, insists she has all the qualities needed to secure stardom across the pond. And…

It was a case of back to the future when TV’s top talent show returned to our screens last month. Shrewd X Factor boss Simon Cowell had axed ‘yoof’ judges, including Nick Grimshaw, 32, and Rita Ora, 25, in favour of veterans Louis Walsh, 64, Nicole Scherzinger, 38, and diva Sharon Osbourne, 63. The latter was seen as a coup, thanks to her entertaining on-screen outbursts. But Mrs O’s most recent rant may have put her friendship with Simon, 56, on the line. In an interview published by The Sun on Sunday, she lifted the lid on her stormy marriage to rocker Ozzy, 67, before turning her attention to billionaire businessman Sir Philip Green, 64. Green is one of Simon’s closest friends having invested in Syco – Simon’s production company…

MELISSA McCARTHY Ghostbusters star Melissa McCarthy, who came to prominence in 2011’s Bridesmaids, has long been the butt of horrible comments about her weight, even after slimming down (she has shed over 5st since 2010, and is now a size 14). However, she’s recently been revealed as the world’s second-highest-paid actress (after Jennifer Lawrence). If that isn’t a two-fingered salute to critics who have described her as ‘tractorsized’ and ‘hippo’, what is? Mother-of-two Melissa, 46, says, ‘My weight? It is what it is…’ and, ‘If you want somebody different, pick somebody else.’ Keep on breaking that mould, Melissa! DAWN FRENCH Funny girl Dawn French, 58, admits she had ‘always been a big girl’ growing up, even as a teen going to a party in hotpants she ‘probably shouldn’t have…

 When I broke up with my husband in September 2008, I knew it would take something special for me to get into another relationship again. At first, the divorce left me shattered, but as I slowly got over my heartbreak, I realised the relationship had been turbulent at best, and couldn’t believe we’d stayed together for 14 years. ‘I’m worth more than that,’ I told myself. So, instead of looking for another serious relationship, I focused on my friends and carved out a whole new life for myself. I took up kickboxing, redecorated my house, and even plumbed in a new washing machine. INDEPENDENT WOMAN When I went on nights out with my friends, I wasn’t the slightest bit interested in being chatted up. ‘You’re so aloof,’ a male friend…

You’ve joined Hollyoaks as Tracey, the troubled mum of Grace Black and the Donovan brothers. Your character makes quite an entrance… Yes! Tracey is unstable – she’s had several nervous breakdowns and has an alcohol problem. When she turns up, she’s just nicked a mobile phone when she bumps into one of her sons! Once the boys realise she’s down on her luck, they want to look after her, but Grace wants rid of her and tries to pay her off. Why does Grace react so badly? Grace hates her mum – she blames Tracey for walking out on her dad, gangster Fraser Black, when she was young. It’s a dark secret Grace is determined no one will ever know about. But Tracey is uncomfortable with the fact that it…

 WIN £550 Both these sets of clues lead to the same answers, revealing in the shaded squares a TV series starring Alex Kingston (10) STRAIGHT CLUES ACROSS 1 Comments or symbols in the text (8) 5 Notify (6) 10 Concur, or tally (5) 11 Run into (9) 12 Constructions (9) 13 Large US farm (5) 14 Sacred (4) 15 A ‘dead’ language (5) 18 Nursery poem (5) 20 Call loudly (4) 22 Clutch (5) 24 Changes its appearance (9) 26 Custom (9) 27 Ball-shaped item (5) 28 Fight against (6) 29 Most jolly (8) DOWN 1 Close at hand (6) 2 Exclusive patch of ground (9) 3 It follows Monday (7) 4 Atlantic or Pacific (5) 6 Not on either fighting side (7) 7 Regularly (5) 8 Trader, dealer (8) 9…

1 A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND BYE, BYE, EAMONN! AS SHE CONTINUES HER COURAGEOUS BATTLE AGAINST BREAST CANCER, Charmed star Shannen Doherty cuddles up to rescue dog Delilah to raise awareness for an animalrescue organisation. The 45-year-old actress posted a picture of her hugging the pooch, saying, ‘This beautiful little girl was hung and beaten. She’s less than a year old and has already seen such death and torture by humans and yet she trusted me.’ We wish Delilah – and Shannen – all the best. 2 HARRY, OUR HERO Cuddling cute kids, hugging sleeping elephants… barely a day goes by when the People’s Prince isn’t making us swoon. Now, Harry’s latest Crocodile Dundee-style escapade has lassoed our hearts. The animal-lover was in Malawi, relocating elephants under threat from poaching, when he…

‘IT’S LIKE SHE HAS BEEN ER ASED BY A RUBBER’ Late afternoon on 28 July 1986, Diana Lamplugh received a call from her daughter Suzy’s manager at the estate agency where she worked, asking if she had any idea where her daughter might be. ‘She left to show a house to a client just before lunch and she hasn’t returned,’ they said. Her mother was as mystified as her manager. She and her husband, Paul, threw themselves into searching for their daughter, scouring the streets, calling and shouting for her as Suzy’s boss reported her missing to the police. Their efforts were to no avail: she hasn’t been seen since. ‘There’s not been a single trace of her,’ Diana said five years after the disappearance. ‘Nothing. Just as though she…

Hi, Denise. How are you? I just got back from Texas, where the portion sizes are huge – and delicious! Well, you don’t look as if you’ve gained any weight… Maybe a few pounds. I’ve been on LighterLife for over three years now. It works for me, because I needed something more than a diet, and I was interested in the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy [CBT] they offered. How does the CBT help? I had a food addiction and the therapy helps you to understand why. Before that, I would get to my goal weight, then struggle to maintain it. I don’t go to counselling every week now, but if I find I’m slipping, I nip up and see Carol, who is my local counsellor in Cheshire, and she sets…

Mediterranean chicken tart A Mediterranean beauty – think Sophia Loren in a crust! We love the flavours in this and, if you like, you could spread some pesto or sun-dried tomato paste over the pastry before adding the topping. Makes a great lunch with a little salad. SERVES 4-6 l Large sheet of readyrolled puff pastry l 1 small red onion, finely sliced l 1 roasted red pepper, cut into strips l 1 courgette, finely sliced into rounds l 300g cooked chicken, sliced l Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper l 2tbsp olive oil l Zest of 1 lemon l 1tbsp lemon juice l 1 garlic clove, grated l 1tbsp thyme sprigs l 1tsp dried oregano, or fresh equivalent l 4 medium tomatoes, sliced, or 100g cherry tomatoes, halved…

ANTI-AGEING EXPERT LESLEY REYNOLDS REVEALS HOW TO LOOK YOUNGER IN 2016... Chin-up! Seeing double? Meet the new fat-melting injection to reduce chin wobble. Similar to a substance found naturally in the digestive system, Belkyra – in the US it’s called Kybella – works by permanently dissolving the fat cells which are resistant to diet or exercise. Each treatment can consist of up to 50 injections, and most patients will require between three and six treatments. There can be some stinging and discomfort, and mild swelling can occur for a few days. Results can be seen after two treatments and, as damaged fat cells do not regrow, it’s permanent. The treatment will be in the UK later this year. How to tighten up Thermi-Tight is a new, non-surgical skin-tightening treatment…

 Ditch the trainers and wear your track pants with killer heels Look out for velour – it’s similar to velvet, the fabric of this season  Even sexy pencil skirts earn their go-faster stripes…

THIS WEEK...  Last week, a newspaper ran a story about my 23-yearold son, Jake (who is the frontman for the band Rixton) and his ‘troubled relationship’ with his dad, Shane Richie. I know my son and I know his relationship with Shane. It’s great, and they see each other when they can – now. But ask me about the song Jake wrote about our breakup and I will be honest with you. The first time I heard the lyrics, it broke my heart. It’s all about how Jake felt when Shane cheated on me and left us. Even at the age of four, all he felt was hurt. We divorced when Jake was seven, and as much as I tried to make it easy over the years, a part…

It really is a dog’s life when it comes to breaking up with your partner. Not only do you have to go through the heartbreak and tears about being alone, but you also have to divide up your assets. And forget about who gets the kettle, the three-piece suite or the DVD collection – the only thing these celebs care about is who gets custody of the pets! Amber Heard & Johnny Depp Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s dogs, Pistol and Boo, have already been threatened with death this year after they were illegally brought into Australia. The Yorkshire terrier pups survived the ordeal after the pair apologised on video for sneaking them into the country without permission. But now Johnny and Amber are divorcing, it looks like the dogs’…

THIS WEEK... BALANCE TRANSFER CREDIT CARDS Lots of people will have put summer holiday spending on a credit card, so the quickest way to stop debt spiralling is to cut the interest. If you currently have a standard credit card, you’re probably paying around 20 per cent APR, so transfer this balance on to a zero per cent balance transfer credit card. An interest-free card could save you as much as £25 a month on a £1,500 bill. There’s usually a fee for doing so, although Tesco is currently offering 24 months interest-free with no fee. The cards with the longest zero per cent deals are Virgin and Halifax, so these are good if you need longer to pay off your debts. OVERDRAFTS Going overdrawn is an expensive…

Hi, Bill! So how’s James feeling about his relationship with Emma – before the upcoming kiss with Moira? Things have been going really well. James has been helping Moira through Holly’s drug addiction. He’s been a rock for her, but it’s no more than that. Emma knows they’ve been hanging out, but that’s it. He forgave Emma rather easily for pretending about all her illnesses, didn’t he?! Emma has her little foibles, and he loves her despite and because of them. He’s always been attracted to her – she’s the mother of his children, it goes with the territory! Is he aware that he has feelings for Moira? It’s kind of crept up on him a bit. He’s not looking for it, but he’s aware, when Emma starts getting jealous…