Table of contents for 38-2021 in Best

Autumn’s great run of TV is beginning and Strictly is back on ITV this Saturday night. I can’t wait for the stars and spangles, trying to spot the celebs with great potential and those we will root for just because they are clearly struggling but somehow endearing. On Thursday, I’m catching up with Craig Revel Horwood in person – because he’s back as our columnist next week! Meanwhile, you can enjoy our chat with the man himself on page 10. He is – as he often says – fab-u-lous, dahling! Despite his on-screen persona for marking low – or being honest, in my opinion – there is not one starry bone in Craig’s body and, yes, he does smile quite often. • Please let me know your thoughts, siobhan.wykes@hearst.co.uk…

Last Wednesday, Prince Andrew made his second bolt to Balmoral in recent months – for what was reported to be the second recent crisis talk with his mother, the Queen. He made the 500-mile journey from Windsor’s Royal Lodge to the Scottish private estate, accompanied by his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. Could it be, as it has been suggested, that it is to avoid any further attempts to serve sexual assault papers at his mansion back in Windsor? Although, it is not unusual for Andrew to visit Balmoral at this time of year. Either way, it must be a topic of concern and conversation, at least, between the hassled-looking Duke and Duchess. Seen in a Range Rover leaving Windsor, Andrew, 61, looked rather wide-eyed and agitated – while the ever-loyal mother…

The Great British Bake Off is back for 10 weeks of baking brilliance, with a certain judge having been made a dame in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List… As they kick off proceedings with Cake Week – beginning with that perennial party favourite, Chocolate Mini Rolls – judges Dame Prue Leith, 81, and Mr Blue Eyes himself, Paul Hollywood, 55, talk tent talent, taste traumas and trolls… What can you tell us about the new series? PAUL: The standard is the highest I’ve ever encountered. From the start, it was off the chart. PRUE: Just count the handshakes! The youngest baker was 19 and the oldest was nearly 70, so it was the usual mix. PAUL: We had a student, a surveyor, a police detective… PRUE: Not one baker is like…

1 ACHIEVE MORE SHINE ‘Shiny locks start in the shower,’ says consultant trichologist Anabel Kingsley. ‘Pollution, dirt and residue from styling products cause hair to lose its lustre, but washing it at least every other day will remove these dulling deposits.’ For maximum shine, the hair’s cuticle (the outermost layer) also needs to lie flat, so light can bounce off it. This is helped by using conditioner, which smooths and seals the cuticles. OGX Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo and Conditioner, £7.99 each, decongest and add shine respectively. 2 REFRESH YOUR COLOUR There are a variety of toning formulas you can apply at home, ideal if you need to stretch out time between salon appointments. BRUNETTES: Green pigments in Matrix Total Results Dark Envy Green Shampoo, £13, neutralise unwanted red tones. BLONDES: Knock…

HOW IT WORKS Follow the plan (right) that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks per day. Aim to drink a cup of ginger tea each morning (brew then sieve an inch of ginger in a cup of hot water). Aim for two litres of fluid daily, including water or low-calorie drinks. Follow the plan for a month to lose up to 1 stone. Always see your GP before starting this or any slimming plan, especially if pregnant. Spices can interact with medications. 1 Did you know spices are great for slimming, losing weight, lowering blood sugar levels and curbing cravings? 2 Lowering sugar is also great for our skin because research shows having lots of sugar in our blood degrades the quality of our collagen, making us age quicker.…

Saffron and Honey Chicken Thighs Cooking times for split peas vary depending on the brand and age, so go by bite rather than just on timings; they should still be firm but easy to bite. Hands-on time: 20 min, plus overnight soaking. Cooking time: about 1¼hr Serves: 4 300g yellow split peas1 head garlic, halved widthways ½-1tsp chilli flakes2tsp olive oil2tbsp runny honey8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs500ml hot chicken stockLarge pinch saffron2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthways and roughly chopped1 red onion, halved and thickly sliced into half moons3 small preserved lemons, drained and roughly chopped (discard pips)Small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 1 Cover split peas with cold water and soak overnight at room temperature. 2 When the peas have soaked, preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Crush…

HOW DO I STOP THIS COMFORT EATING? After recently splitting from my ex, I turned to food for comfort and ended up putting on 3st as a result. I’m not proud of it, but food really is my one big comfort in life. What would you recommend to people who want to avoid it becoming a habit? I’ve started a juicing diet and can already see it working, but I really don’t want to go back to my old comfort eating ways. What can you recommend? Linda, Nottingham DR HILARY SAYS: Many people comfort eat when they are feeling low, but now is the time to turn this around. Make a start date to eat more healthily and stick to it. Stop using food as comfort and substitute exercise. Why…

THE CRIME: A 25-year-old man stabbed to death, his fiancée, battered and bloodied, begging for witnesses to the road rage killing. But was all as it originally seemed…? THE CASE: ‘The passenger called me a slut and punched me in the face. Afterwards I went to Lee, I didn’t know whether he was alive. I held him, I cradled his head and was just thinking of anything I could do for him. I had taken a first aid course and tried to stop the flow of blood. I went into a state of shock.’ At the press conference on 3 December 1996, with her black eyes and shaking voice, Tracie Andrews was every inch a devastated woman in shock. And indeed, she should have been. Just two days previously, driving…

Do you have a story you’d like to share with our amazing army of best readers? We’re looking for real-life stories from women just like you and your friends – and will pay up to £250 for all those that make it into these pages. Stories can be funny, sad, emotional, inspirational – just like some of the examples on this page. The only rule: they must be true. Have you been on a diet that changed your life? Have you battled against tough times and come out fighting? Have you found love or happiness against the odds? If you – or a friend – have a story to share, whatever the subject, do drop us a line, with your contact details, a photo and a brief outline of your…

THE PALM BY WHISPERING ANGEL, £15.90 With a beautiful bottle that epitomises this stylish, refreshing tipple, The Palm is known as the energetic and playful ‘little sister’ to Whispering Angel. Crafted with grapes from Provence, the worldrenowned rosé-producing region, The Palm is light and crisp. Available at thebottle club.com LA GIOIOSA PROSECCO ROSÉ MILLESIMATO BRUT, £11 Fancy some fizz? Who doesn’t! La Gioiosa is subtle and fresh, offering hints of small red fruits. Notes of rose and pomegranate complete this elegant and intense aromatic profile. On the palate, it is silky and full, presenting a very pleasant balance between the fruity and floral notes! Available at Sainsbury’s. SARTORI PINOT GRIGIO BLUSH DELLE VENEZIE IGT, £8.85 Distinctive pale-copper colour; aromatic with delicate citrus notes; crisp and refreshing on the palate, this…

VIRGO 24 August – 23 September What a competition Virgos like Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballass and former glamour model Linda Lusardi are having so far. A great achievement will mean everything to them and underlines how hard work does bring its just rewards. They should be proud of what they can accomplish when they put their minds to it. SAGITTARIUS 23 November – 21 December At times, everything will be up in the air - or it will feel that way. You adapt very easily and you should be able to cope more than adequately. Don’t forget the importance of delegation. People sharing the weekend with you will be in a talkative frame of mind and this may indirectly provide you with some useful information. PISCES 20 February…

Paul and Prue might be the only ones who taste the bakes, but that doesn’t stop viewers taking to social media when their faves leave. Some go too far. Laura Adlington faced terrible trolling when she made it to the final ahead of Hermine last year, despite the latter having a disastrous week. ‘I had to come out last year in support of Laura because it was out of order,’ says Paul. ‘People bombard someone they’re not happy with. It’s not fair on the bakers. They didn’t sign up for that. This can really, really hurt people… Prue and I are in a unique position. When we’re judging, we have smell, taste and touch. People that watch will have sight. We have knowledge of that little bit extra. That’s what…

Tax champagne or caviar? Nope. Bread - oh yes… Boris’s National Insurance hike has caused a public uproar, not least because of the seemingly unfair system it is following. While those earning £20,000 a year will see a rise of 4.7 per cent in the tax they pay, higher earners on £50,000 and £100,000 will see a rise of 4.1 per cent and 3.4 per cent respectively. If you’re lucky enough to earn a cool million a year, your hike will be a mere 2.7 per cent. One radio listener who called in on a discussion, described it as a tax on bread, but not on champagne and caviar – and we couldn’t think of a better way to describe it ourselves! How will you be affected by the change…

Known technically as hyperpigmentation, dark spots occur when cells called melanocytes create an excess of melanin – the brown pigment within the skin – to help shield against DNA damage. While UV exposure is the most common cause, it can also be due to hormonal imbalance, injury or just simple ageing. They tend to show up on areas of your body where you get the most sun: face, hands, chest and legs. They tend to be flat, rather than raised, are larger than freckles, usually brown, and often appear in clusters. Any age or skin type is a potential ‘victim’, but the problem often gets worse with age. The earlier you treat them the better. Even tiny spots will keep growing! It’s important to monitor them and get anything unusual…

Ripped jeans are ‘unsuitable’ for women over 35, fashion trainers aren’t appropriate for those over 40 and wearing a bikini over 41 is a total no-no, says a new survey. I don’t know who the 2,000 people quizzed by footwear brand Hotter actually are, but I have two words for them – absolute rubbish. Last month was my 50th birthday and let me tell you, I’m nowhere close to hanging up my crop tops, trainers, bikinis or anything else deemed ‘unsuitable’. There’s something liberating about reaching half a century. It’s made me bolder and brave in my life – and style – choices. I’ve a story to tell, a life lived, and I tell that tale through what I wear. What has been key for me is looking myself in…

STICKY ORANGE AND PISTACHIO CAKE This wonderfully moist sponge has bitter flavours reminiscent of marmalade. Serves 12-14 Hands-on time: 30min, plus cooling Cooking time: About 3hr 15min 2 medium orangesOil, to grease175g caster sugar, plus 1tbsp6 large eggs50g clear honey200g pistachio kernels, plus extra to decorate100g coarse polenta1tsp gluten-free baking powder FOR THE TOPPING 100g caster sugar75g clear honey2 oranges, slice off the ends then cut into 3mm thick slices 1 Bring a large pan of water up to the boil, add the oranges and turn down the heat, cover pan and simmer oranges for 2hr. 2 Carefully remove oranges from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain, allow to cool. Halve the oranges and remove any pips. Put the oranges (skin included) into a food processor or blender…

Closing my eyes, I concentrated on my breathing. In, out, in, out… As I felt my mind and body relax, I repeated the dog’s name over and over again in my head. ‘Taya, Taya, Taya,’ I called out. As the repetition became almost an internal chant, I could see Taya coming towards me in my mind’s eye and feel the love and happiness she felt for her owner, Kayleigh, the woman sitting next to me. It was 2020, and Taya had passed over the rainbow bridge a few years before, but this was the first time I was using my medium and psychic skills to communicate with an animal that was no longer with us. I was able to see – and feel – residual images, almost like pieces of…

Witnesses remembered how Tracie hit Lee over the head with a bottle and punched him in the face when he visited ‘her’ nightclub during one of their break-ups. Another time, she’d bitten Lee on the neck, hard enough to remove a chunk of flesh, when she thought he’d been flirting with another woman. He often went home with injuries after she’d kicked him out, but would always end up going back. ‘She’s mental but I love her,’ he apparently told Maureen. In fact, on the night of his murder, the two had been at the pub, having a drink to try and make up after yet another one of their bust-ups… And it seemed that Lee wasn’t the only one who was a victim of Tracie’s temper. Previous boyfriends came…

FRIDAY Well, Vi, I’ll keep this short. Internet up the Castle’s in and out like a fiddler’s elbow. If they can get a mobile signal on Everest, why are the Scottish Highlands so difficult? Anyway, I promised to let you know what it’s like, so here goes. You’ve met Miranda. Nice girl, despite the caterpillar eyebrows, and she obviously loves my Ryan. But it’s pretty clear she’d prefer a Dowager Duchess from Dulwich as her mother-in-law rather than a beautician from Bow. I guess I’m still smarting because she chose ‘Mayfair Faces’ to do her make-up on The Big Day instead of me. The hens are making me feel as welcome as a wasp in a cheesecake. They’re all Miranda clones. Mirandas don’t talk. They shout in clipped sentences that…

It’s unthinkable that anyone could take the life of a beautiful young mother, sexually assaulting her and stabbing her 49 times. Even more unimaginable is that her two-year-old son witnessed the awful attack and was beaten up. ‘It may be hard to believe, but my mother looked like she was lying there peacefully, like in one of our imaginary games,’ Alex Hanscombe said on Lorraine last week. ‘I stepped towards her and I said, “Get up, Mummy,” and she didn’t respond and I said it once again and she didn’t respond and I said it for the third time, “Get up, Mummy,” – and in that split second, no matter how young I was, I knew my mother was gone and that she was never coming back,’ he told Lorraine…

DANCING IN SEPTEMBER, SPOTIFY ‘Do you remember, the 21st night of September?’ This is an all-purpose playlist for any groovy gathering this month – with Earth, Wind and Fire, Abba, the Bee Gees and more. SEPTEMBER (JAMES ARTHUR) ITUNES/YOUTUBE Feeling romantic this Autumn? James Arthur’s September is definitely worth listening to at some point this month to give you that warm, fuzzy feeling. SEPTEMBER PLAYLIST, SPOTIFY The Weather Girls, Bruno Mars and Queen will get you dancing with this feel-good playlist. It may be raining this Autumn – but when it’s raining men it’s always much better!…

FORAGE FOR SEAFOOD Join expert Craig Evans on a fourhour Autumn coastal forage in Carmarthenshire, Wales, for £80 per person. Learn how to find mussels, cockles, prawns and other yummies to eat, then tuck into an organic lunch on the beach. Locations include Laugharne Estuary, Llansteffan and Pendine Sands, depending on the tide and conditions. Stay in Laugharne at poet Dylan Thomas’ favourite pub, Brown’s, now a boutique hotel, double rooms from £75 per night, including breakfast (browns.wales). More info: coastalforaging.co.uk AUTUMN CIDER CYCLING Herefordshire’s new 48.5-mile Cider Circuit in the Golden Valley takes in many apple orchards and artisan cider producers (visitherefordshire.co.uk). You can cycle shorter sections of the route or go by car. Highlights include Ty Gwyn Cider, which offers accommodation as well – the cute and tiny…

Sometimes, situations in life tear us right down the middle – and it seems Susanna Reid is between a rock and a hard place right now. The Good Morning Britain presenter spoke out recently about how she’s feeling torn between Piers Morgan and her show bosses, after the controversy surrounding her former colleague. The 50-year-old confessed to feeling ‘awkward’ following the furore, which has pitted her ‘good friend’ Piers against ITV management. Mum-of-three Susanna has been missing her controversial sidekick since he stormed off set on 9 March, following a furious rant in the wake of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Oprah interview. At the time, Piers, 56, told a shocked Susanna what he thought of the show, saying, ‘I’m sickened by what I’ve just had to watch … a…

TOP TIP A shirt dress is a great investment! Wear with a pair of heels to instantly smarten.…

Watching our three kids huddled together in Center Parcs, I wanted to freeze the moment and make it last forever. Jamie, now 17, George, 12, and Issy, 10, were laughing together without a care in the world, while my husband Matt and I looked on. We are a close-knit family and just a few months before that moment, I’d have said our lives were pretty perfect. It goes to show, you never know what’s round the corner… Matt and I had met on a night out in 2007. He was brilliant with my son Jamie and we quickly decided to extend our family. On Valentine’s Day 2008, I fell pregnant. When George arrived, happy, healthy and weighing 7lbs 4oz, later that year, we couldn’t have asked for more. Just 19…

Bending down, I wrapped my arms around the beautiful little boy for the final time. ‘You be good now,’ I said to the two-and-a-half-year-old who’d been part of our family for the last nine months. As he smiled up at me and nodded, my heart twisted and I had to swallow down tears. Then, as he was led away to a brighter, happier future, we shut our front door for the last time. I don’t mind saying, I felt bereft after he left. Usually, I’d be off to Spring clean the bedrooms, tidy away the toys and await the next phone call to say there was another child who needed our help. But in June this year, after 56 wonderful years of fostering, my husband Roger and I had admitted…

Age spots (sun/liver spots): Usually light to dark brown and mainly caused through sun damage. Most often seen on face, décolletage, legs and hands. Melasma: Usually light to medium brown, often develops during pregnancy, starting the oral contraceptive pill, or even HRT, coupled with sun exposure. Unlike age spots, it is often found in patches – across your face and cheeks, upper part of the nose, forehead and above the lip. Freckles: Usually occur in childhood as flat, round spots that are produced because of overproduction of melanin. They may look harmless but are actually a sign of sun damage. Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH): Pink, red or brown, PIH can show up anywhere on the face, appears as flat spots and is usually caused by injury to the skin such as inflammatory…

TOP TIP! Wipe the neck of the product and the wand free of residue before applying for a clump-free finish.…

Former This Morning hosts Judy Finnigan and Richard Madeley are well-known for their banter – mostly, it must be said, to the detriment of long-suffering Judy. But recently, Judy admitted her hubby of 35 years had taken it all a bit too far, and that this time, his ‘tormenting teasing’ had left her ‘terrified’! Sounds like serious stuff, until the 73-year-old explained it was a case of regular GMB stand-in host Richard winding her up… royally! One of Judy’s pet hates, she explained, are the Californiabased, headline-grabbing couple Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex. ‘Week after week they come out with stuff that leaves me incredulous with rage or scorn,’ she explained. ‘I wish they knew how ridiculous they sound but alas it seems the Sussexes possess neither…

DAUGHTER’S NEVER HAD A REAL BOYFRIEND I may be biased, but I think my daughter, 28, is the most beautiful, kind and caring person in the world – yet she’s never had a relationship that has lasted beyond a few months. I just don’t get it. If it was her own choice, I wouldn’t be too bothered, but after she’s had a drink she tends to get emotional about the fact she’s never been in a relationship and ends up in tears, while she frets that all her friends are moving on, getting engaged, married and having babies. What can I do? In my heart, I don’t know if she will get her happy ending. Delia, Manchester Don’t panic. She’s only 28, not 88! There’s plenty of time for her…

We never know what is going on in someone’s life. And actress Patricia Hodge is no exception. She spoke out movingly recently about her late husband’s long and cruel battle with Alzheimer’s. The star – who plays wealthy Mrs Pumphrey, owner of Pekingese Tricki Woo in Channel 5’s All Creatures Great and Small – admitted irrationally that she was sorry she ‘couldn’t save him’. But none of us can save loved ones with this cruel disease Patricia, 74, married music publisher Peter Owen in 1976, and they had two longed-for children late in life, when Patricia was already in her 40s. For the next 23 years, she lived her ‘happiest life’, in the family home. But that changed, when Peter was struck down with Alzheimer’s – which would claim his…

SUITS ME, SIR! EAMONN: Marks and Spencer has announced it’s no longer selling suits in some stores. Sales are significantly down, but why shouldn’t they be? Nobody has been going anywhere during Covid. Ever since I can remember, there have been reasons to knock suits. When I was at school they were seen as ‘authoritarian’ – so people turned to glam rock, punk or new romantic. Me? I always preferred the smartness a suit gave me. I can never remember hearing someone say anything other than, ‘You look very smart in your suit.’ But who am I to argue with M&S? The trend is definitely on a downward curve for the suit – but you will always need one for a wedding or a funeral. So where does that leave…

MY OTHER LIFE Getting a show ready for a tour is a long and complicated task, especially when you decide that using old material is cheating. Sadly, comics aren’t like pop stars – no one wants to pay good money to hear the back catalogue! Inevitably, a couple of old lines have crept into Sixty! (FFS!). I call it recycling and, considering the state the planet’s in, I think every bit of environmentally friendliness helps. Working very hard on writing and rehearsing the new show means my leisure pursuits have gone on the back burner, too. This includes exercise, which, considering the shape I’m currently in, is a bit of disaster! What I really miss, though, is painting. Last year, when all live work dried up, I spent the first…

THE BEGUILED BBC Two, Wednesday, 11.15pm This thriller, starring Hollywood heavyweights Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell, is about a wounded soldier in the American Civil War, seeking refuge in an allgirls boarding school. With his arrival, a wave of jealousy and lust rises among the ladies… THE GRADUATE (1967) BBC One, Friday, 11.35pm A classic. While he is lured into a seductive affair with the wife of his father’s business partner, college graduate Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) also falls in love with her daughter, Elaine. ROCKY (1976) ITV, Friday, 10.45pm Sylvester Stallone stars as Rocky Balboa, a small-time boxer, who gets a chance to fight heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. In a bid to earn respect and glory, Rocky jumps into the ring, unaware of the tough task ahead. Get Alexa playing…