Table of contents for 04-2020 in Best

Hanging up the phone, I couldn’t stop myself smiling. ‘I’m pregnant!’ I told my husband Alessandro, now 47. ‘And it’s twins.’ I was 43 years old and it’d been a long process to get to this point. For most of my 30s, I’d been busy focusing on my career as a media director. I’d met Alessandro through work in our native Italy and we’d become an item in 2006. We knew we wanted a family and were both keen to adopt. So, when we moved to New York in 2008 with work, we began the adoption process and two years later, we were blessed with our beautiful daughter, Keisha, now nine. Every smile, every milestone she met made my heart skip a beat. ‘I want to give her a brother…

Fans of the late, great Cilla Black, who died aged 72, following a fall at her Spanish home in 2015, are excited that ‘lost’ track, You’re Sensational, will see the light of day just in time for Valentine’s Day. According to the Liverpool star’s official Facebook page, the unreleased love song, which she recorded back in the Seventies, is to be released in the coming weeks, after her son and former manager, Robert Willis, uncovered it in an archived storage unit. ‘It was a real joy to find a complete unreleased track by my mother from the early Seventies. I think the fans will enjoy hearing it for the first time as much as I did.’ The single has been remixed by Dutch music producer Matt Pop, who claims it’s a…

Dress you up! A denim dress is as versatile as the classic LBD. Belted styles are also figure flattering. Flower power A longer-line top looks great worn over classic skinny jeans. Beat the blues You really can’t go wrong teaming blue with denim. Go bold with a cobalt, which flatters all skin tones. Take cover! Sick of a dark winter coat? Pick up a bold buy to add a fresh pop of colour to your wardrobe.…

Olly Murs was as far from his happy-go-lucky self as he could possibly be on a recent episode of The Voice. Heartbreakingly, the Essex cheeky chappy – who recently went public with his new girlfriend, bodybuilder Amelia Tank, hasn’t spoken to his twin, Ben, in over a decade. And emotions overcame him. When twins auditioned in front of Olly and fellow judges Tom Jones, will.i.am and Meghan Trainor, it evidently triggered painful memories. The 35-year-old broke down in tears – prompting a hug from will.i.am. When the Black Eyed Peas singer asked what Olly’s brother looked like, the star revealed how becoming one of The X Factor’s biggest success stories came at a price. ‘We haven’t spoken for 10 years. We had a big argument. I was on The X Factor…

STRUGGLING AFTER FESTIVE SPENDING I’m really struggling to get back on my feet after all the spending over Christmas. I’m trying to do my best with saving money – I’m doing Dry January, so I won’t go out as much this month – but with all the sales and special offers in the shops, I just can’t say no! If I’m honest, I think I’m a bit of a shopaholic which is why I’ve got myself into this mess in the first place. I’m painfully aware of it and I still can’t stop. Sophie, Stoke Let’s face it. We have all reached what the chairman of IKEA called ‘peak stuff’. We don’t need any more boots, T-shirts, lipsticks or cushions. You know it. I know it. You’re low on cash.…

TOP TIP! Your bedroom should be more than just a room! It should be an oasis of calm and a place to escape. Update your bedding with a jungle print to remind you of warmer days to come.…

I’d never really understood people who didn’t get on with their in-laws, but then again, I’d been incredibly lucky with mine. As soon as I met my now-husband Andrew’s mum, Marie, we got on like a house on fire.. Marie was kind, supportive and more of a friend than anything else. We’d shop together occasionally, meet for lunch and spoke once a week. She was incredibly excited when I fell pregnant in 2004, as well. I was around a size 14 then, but as my bump grew, so did my appetite. I definitely ate for two! By the time I gave birth to Charlotte, now 14, I was 14st and a size 18 – far too big for my 5ft 6in frame. Still, Andrew and I were in love with…

HARD HITTERS American Dirt Jeanine Cummins Headline, £12.99 Lydia’s comfortable life in Mexico is shattered when her family is murdered by a drug cartel. Alone with her young son, she has to run, trying to escape to the US. Tender, shocking, and dramatic, this powerful book gives a human face to the migrant crisis. Long Bright River Liz Moore Hutchinson, £12.99 Two sisters grow up together in Philadelphia – but while Kacey becomes a victim of the city’s drug epidemic, Mickey joins the police. Years later, when a killer is targeting sex workers, she will risk her career to protect her lost sister. A gritty exploration of the power of family ties. HEART WARMERS Mix Tape Jane Sanderson Bantam, £12.99 Do you ever forget your first love? Daniel and Alison,…

…her new series Easy Ways To Live Well I don’t have the best diet or lifestyle – plus, I have the FOGS (fear of getting started)! For me, it had to offer easy tips for busy lives. Some sound unbelievable, but we see amazing results. …the best health solution she discovered I had no idea singing could be a form of pain relief – especially singing in a group. It was amazing how something so simple could change lives. …what she’s learned about her own health I’ve got IBS – sometimes I’ve had to leg it to the loo before doing live TV! I learnt that eating fermented food and drinking kombucha helps. It’s changed my life. …getting advice from Dr Zoe Williams After the first episode, I fell pregnant.…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT If you’re a rollercoaster fan, Orlando, the theme park capital of the world, is a thrill-seeker’s paradise with almost guaranteed sun. From hyper coasters such as Mako at SeaWorld – the tallest, fastest and longest rollercoaster and my personal favourite – to Tigris at Busch Gardens – a coaster that slams riders 150ft, reaches speeds over 60mph with a 45-second heart-stopping roll – the rides here are not for the faint-hearted. Water lovers shouldn’t miss white water rafting at SeaWorld’s Infinity Falls, or the KareKare water slide at Aquatica which, following a 35ft drop, shoots riders out on to a giant wave wall. INSIDER’S GUIDE If you want to spend time away from all the madness and mayhem of the parks, splash out on a day at Discovery…

TOP TIP! Layer a long blouse under a knitted co-ord to embrace cropped styles without flashing flesh. TOP TIP! A long line cardigan is a versatile item. Pair with jeans and a shirt for a cosy look. TOP TIP! A pair of knitted sweat pants are comfortable and cosy! Perfect for lounging in at home.…

A midst all the drama that has swirled around Meghan Markle since joining the Royal Family, this could be the most seismic moment yet. Meghan is expected to come face-to-face in court with her own father – Thomas – as he could be called as a key witness for the defence, in a case she has brought against a newspaper. The Duchess has accused the Mail on Sunday of breaching her privacy and copyright by publishing extracts of an emotional letter she penned to Thomas in August 2018, in which she claimed he had ‘broken her heart into a million pieces’. Her legal team claim she was ‘shocked and deeply upset’ when the letter was published. But the paper has filed a defence denying her claims, arguing there was a…

‘I feel sorry for the Queen who doesn’t need this at her age. I feel sorry for William who soldiers on with his admirable sense of duty. I even feel sorry for Meghan! But only because she seems to be taking all the flack for kicking their toys out of the pram. So, I’m reserving my ire for Harry, who appears to have lost it wholesale and gone more than rogue – he’s out of order. I get that he loves his wife and hates the press. I get that he feels a sense of uselessness, like most Royal siblings who have no chance of the top job – but where is his respect for family, his elderly grandmother and grandfather, his brother and father? It’s such a shame, how…

WITH THE LOVES OF MY LIFE! Over the New Year, I got to hold my darling 10-month-old niece, Astrid, who I haven’t seen since the summer as she and her mum, my sister, live in Australia. It was an emotional reunion – for me, certainly; for her, she looked at me like I was a stranger, but our exchange of love felt very real. As a mum of four much older Ungratefuls, there isn’t a second of the day that goes by when I’m not reminded I’m a parent. Granted, this was my ONLY ambition in life: to become a mum. So, it’s fair to say it’s consumed me; I’ve obsessed about my role and I think if I’d started younger, I might have had even more of the little…

AQUARIUS 21 January – 19 February Talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres, The Good Wife actor Alan Cumming, and other Aquarians are set to have a terrific time promoting their agenda at this moment. So don’t be shy about expressing your deepest hopes and dreams – indulge all of your creative desires with gusto. TAURUS 21 April – 21 May You’re so busy fulfilling obligations you hardly notice what other people are doing. When you’re focused on work and other concerns, loved ones feel neglected. Yours is a busy life but your relationships are important, too, and you will find a way to fulfil responsibilities and give those you love the affection and attention they need. LEO 24 July – 23 August A friend or workmate could make romantic advances that take…

FAST AS LIGHTNIN’ Chris spoke for us all when he said to Libby, ‘I hope, in your mind’s eye, you can see yourself as others see you’. She wants simply to be treated as a competitor, which is absolutely how we treat her – but Libby’s already proving that a disability needn’t stop you. She is registered blind, yet she’s skating faster than anyone! Remember, her partner, Mark, has to explain every move they learn, not ‘show’ her. The trust there is incredible. ‘EVIL’ HOLLY! I was sharing grooming tips the other day with Philip, about things you need to change when you have grey hair. Holly was listening to this private conversation through the door! She said, ‘This is the best conversation I’ve EVER heard!’ and I replied, ‘Holly…

WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH MARKLE? For goodness sake, what is the matter with you, Meghan? You knew what you were signing up for. This is the British Royal Family, the most famous family on Earth. Or maybe not. Maybe, they are pipped in the celebrity stakes by the Kardashians? Either way, you win. Stay as a British royal, and you get all the privilege and fame without the control. Or, having secured your title, set up a Kardashian court in the USA, and watch all that dosh roll in. The Royal rift bombshell in itself wasn’t a surprise, but the lack of consultation from Harry with his father, brother, and grandmother is the bit that has annoyed people most. Until recently, maybe with the exception of Her Majesty herself, Harry…

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More and more women are turning their backs on men to find love and happiness with other women. Earlier this month, Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran announced she’d fallen in love with a woman, ‘something I’d never even considered before’. Though Layla identifies as ‘pansexual’, she’s the latest of many high-profile women who have swapped male for female partners in middle age. Literary agent, Lisa Ekus, 61, explains how it happened to her after two marriages… ‘I was married twice – to my first husband for 14 years, with whom I have two daughters, and to my second husband for nine years. I was 39 and in my early 50s when I got divorced. But it’s not as if after my second marriage ended that I decided I…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT Let’s be honest, no matter how much Florida has to offer, most of us will head to at least one theme park on a family holiday. And the latest of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Hotel in Orlando is just a wave of a wand away from all of them with complimentary transportation for guests. If you’ve never heard of Jimmy, he is a singer-songwriter whose four-minute song Margaritaville about being drunk and lazy spawned a £100million empire of Caribbean-style hotels, where guests kick back and relax. He is now richer than Jagger… INSIDER’S GUIDE Wild Florida is one of the few places in the world you will find an airboat ride through the swamps that sees you coming face to face with alligators (wildfloridairboats.com). It’s a once-in-lifetime experience and…

Linda Robson made her much-anticipated return to Loose Women recently, opening up about her dramatic personal struggles. ‘Nanny Linda’, as her fellow presenters fondly call her, had been absent from the show for over a year. The star, 61 – who had a well-documented ‘meltdown’ over Christmas 2018, revealed that she has been battling severe OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) – as well as anxiety and depression. Thankfully, the popular mum-of-three is on the road to recovery. But she’s been to some dark places to get here. What began as binning booze as part of a sugar-free diet soon spiralled out of control, she admitted. She revealed that a pill to help her sleep had led to ‘a really bad reaction’ that ramped up her anxiety, depression and OCD, leading to ‘a proper…

Professional skater Matt Evers sounds overwhelmed at the reaction he’s had from fans since hitting the ice with his Dancing On Ice partner – Steps star Ian ‘H’ Watkins - marking his 12th series on the rink. It was a pivotal moment for telly, and for Matt – who came out as gay in a 2018 interview. A same-sex couple is something Strictly has often talked about, but never delivered on. Here, Matt, 43, talks about this special moment, the celeb contestants he’s pals with, and why he’s convinced his late mum Cheryl, who died of cancer when he was just 17, would be so proud if she could see him now. DOI star Matt Evers made history when he performed a same-sex skate with H from Steps. He talks about what it means to…

Tens of thousands of hopefuls applied for this year’s Love Island, which sees sexy singles couple up to win the public vote. This year, there are two series, such is the show’s success, with the first Winter Love Island already underway and making headlines. Controversy started before the series even started when host Caroline Flack stepped down in December after being charged with assault. She’s been replaced by Laura Whitmore. Already, things in the new South African villa are looking interesting. Coupled up Mike and Leanne seem solid and could go far – while Callum and Shaughna are the biggest characters (who could forget Shaughna declaring she was ‘marking her territory’ when she leaned in for a smooch!). Paige Turley and Sophie Piper also stand out. Paige – an ex of hit singer-songwriter…

Q My eyelids have become very saggy and I find make-up really hard to apply. It makes me look so tired, too. How can I fix this? Trudy, Birmingham A DR AAMER SAYS: The skin around the eyes and on lids is very delicate, and has fewer oil glands, making it drier and more vulnerable to accelerated ageing. Gradually, eyelids stretch, causing them to droop. Usually, surgery is the best solution. Techniques and technologies have evolved which no longer means significant recovery periods. Certain procedures, such as eyelid lifts (blepharoplasty) can now be performed in as little as half an hour using local anaesthetic, so the area is numbed and you’re awake throughout. Excess tissue and fat is removed through a tiny incision hidden in the crease of the upper…

Would you give up shopping for a year? Dragons’ Den star and businesswoman Deborah Meaden, 60, tweeted last week that she wasn’t going to buy any new clothes, shoes or handbags for a year. She said she could replace things when they were worn out if needed and she could recycle. Joaquin Phoenix, 45, also vowed to wear the same tux to all the awards events this season. Deborah said that it wasn’t something that would work for everyone (she might be at a slight advantage in terms of her privileged wardrobe, given her net worth!). We like the idea of being more mindful of what we spend and getting our money’s worth out of what we buy, though, but don’t we all re-wear our ‘good clothes’ time and time again…

‘It’s not often that I cry at the TV news,’ admits Natasha Golding, 44, a legal consultant from Leeds. But, as she recently watched the public frenzy over the case of a young woman from England, who was found guilty in a Cyprus court about ‘lying’ about being raped, the tears started to flow. ‘I started crying as I watched and was still crying long after I turned off the TV. It kept me awake long into the night. I felt devastated for her.’ Lauren Walsh, 26, a senior marketing executive from Preston, was equally affected: ‘My heart absolutely went out to her.’ All over the UK and Europe there’s been an outpouring of support for the teenager – who for legal reasons cannot be identified – at the centre…

Honey & spice loaf cake This cuts beautifully and is at its best when spread with butter and served with a cup of tea. Hands-on time: 20 mins, plus cooling Cooking time: about 55 mins Serves: 8 Per slice: 393 cals, 23g fat (14g saturates), 47g carbs (27g total sugars). 2tbsp runny honey200g (7oz) unsalted butter80g (2½oz) dark brown soft sugar2 large eggs200g (7oz) self-raising flour1½tsp mixed spice100g (3½oz) icing sugar, sifted 1 Put the honey, butter and sugar into a pan and melt together over a low heat. When the sugar has dissolved, turn up the heat and leave to bubble for 1 minute. Take off the heat and leave to cool for 15 mins. 2 Preheat oven to 160ºC/140ºC fan/350ºF/gas 3. Line a 2lb (1kg) loaf tin with…

BROTHERS IN ARMS? I hope the breakdown in the relationship between brothers Harry and William is not as bad as reported. Eamonn has four other brothers and, although they are hardly TV’s famous Walton family, I know the thought of one of them being cut adrift from the others is something none of them could contemplate. In their case, as in most families, blood is definitely thicker than water. VALENTINE’S DAY I don’t know about you, but Valentine’s Day always has a feeling of forced romance to me. Every year, I tell Eamonn I don’t want a card – and please don’t bother booking an evening out… and every year, he does at least both of those things. Deep down, I’m glad he doesn’t listen to me. NATIONAL TELEVISION AWARDS…

Quirky Strictly host and mum-of-three, Claudia Winkleman, has opened up about the new, special person in her life – and she sounds more than a little obsessed. Speaking about her latest show, BBC’s Best Home Cook, where Claudia is joined by chef judges Mary Berry, Angela Hartnett and Chris Bavin, to judge the country’s best cooks on their culinary skills, the 48-year-old gushed about one judge in particular: baking supremo Mary, 84. ‘Mary Berry is the Queen!’ enthused the hilarious Claudia. ‘You might think it’s Beyoncé, but trust me, it’s not – it’s Mary… She’s magnificent, isn’t she? We’re now in love, and live together.’ She continued, ‘When I was first asked to do Best Home Cook with Mary, I didn’t even give a monkey’s what the actual format was. They had…

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Christine Keeler died aged 75, just after the current six-part drama had been commissioned. According to writer Amanda Coe, her reaction to the news was, ‘Oh no, not another bloody thing about the Profumo affair.’ ‘It has been a misery for me, living with Christine Keeler,’ she admitted. After her release from prison, she wrote a memoir, Secrets And Lies and appeared occasionally in the papers, but mainly failed to thrive. Twice-married, with two children, she worked in a dry-cleaners, as a dinner lady and in telesales, using the last name Sloane, but claimed that her true identity was always discovered, making her life a misery. Her book claimed that her stepfather had assaulted her, which led her to run away to London, work as a topless dancer and meet…

Born in South Africa, Charlize Theron, 44, is an Oscar-winning actress. She has two adopted sons, and plays news anchor Megyn Kelly in Bombshell. Charlize, this is an amazing performance – did you stay in character the whole time you were filming? Oh god no, I am way too lazy for that! I’ve got to raise kids and I have dog poo to pick up, I don’t know how you do that in character. It’s exhausting. Your character has a very distinctive voice… Yes! She speaks really fast and in the very deep register. I spent hours with a voice coach who helped me, but I still had to take three weeks off because I busted my vocal chords trying to speak! The women in this story are tough. Did…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT From soaring through the air as you join in a game of Quidditch, to clambering aboard Hagrid’s motorbike to ride through the Forbidden Forest, a day spent at Universal is a Potter fan’s dream come true. No question. But the fun doesn’t stop there when the sun goes down this Autumn. September onward is the perfect time to hop on a broomstick (or at least a plane) and head to Florida for the event that has been a year in the making. INSIDER’S GUIDE Like to scare yourself silly? Fans of horror films can lose themselves in Universal’s sinister scare zones. From 10 September to 1 November, you can walk through terrifying haunted houses, watch outrageous zombie live entertainment and enjoy some of the studio’s most exhilarating rides.…