Table of contents for 30-2024 in Best

Have you ever heard of the Dull Men’s Club? Well, before you laugh, they have more than a million followers on Facebook. It’s a community of self-proclaimed ‘dullsters’ (men and women) who hang out online, swapping tips and finding joy in the mundane or, as they prefer to term it, ‘Celebrating the ordinary’ and avoiding the glitz and glamour. According to their assistant vice president, Grover Click (above), they ‘don’t need to keep up with the latest fads. We enjoy what we already have instead of constantly moving on to the next big thing. We’re not always trying to achieve and acquire more. We don’t suffer from moreitus.’ What a wonderful word! The older I get, the more appeal I can see in a dull man. They feel safe in…

They were one of TV’s most treasured couples – but since Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford announced their shock split, loyalty for the pair has divided into two camps… Releasing a joint statement in May, the former couple who have been married since 2010 and share son Jack, 22, said: ‘After 14 years of marriage, we would like to announce that we have separated. We have jointly and amicably made the difficult decision to divorce and go our separate ways.’ This caused a flurry of comments on both presenters social media accounts. If you’re following the Loose Women star on Instagram, you’ll see supportive comments from fans (mainly women)... One wrote, ‘You’ll be happier now with your friends and family etc around you, no nagging, do what you want –…

To most, her life looks practically perfect, but sadly, for cleaning sensation and social media star Sophie Hinchcliffe, it’s currently far from the truth... Better known as Mrs Hinch, the 34-year-old officially returned to social media recently following a two-month break after the death of her father Alan. The British influencer, who’s known for her top tidying tips and Tesco homeware range, used her platform to sympathise with people grieving a loss. The mum-of-two (who’s been married to hubby Jamie since 2018) wrote, ‘Grief is a pain I can’t think of the words to fully explain. If it’s something you’ve never experienced before, all I will say, is that it takes your legs from underneath you...’ The heartbreaking post went on to say, ‘I’d be lying if I said I…

HOW IT WORKS 1 Emotions play a big role in helping you lose weight, and if you’re feeling down about the way you look, you could be slowing down your slimming progress this Summer. Clinical nutritionist Suzie Sawyer (nutritionlifestyle.co.uk) believes it’s not just about going on a diet, it’s finding a plan that makes you happy – which includes the right combination of foods to keep your body ticking over efficiently so you burn calories more quickly. 2 Suzie says we need 45 key nutrients a day and most can be found in five Summer foods that work together to improve digestion and help with fluid retention that becomes a problem as temperatures rise and causes the bloating that makes tummies swell. 3 Add foods that help flush out the body,…

Star of Daddy Daycare, Coming To America - and of course Beverly Hills Cop – American superstar Eddie Murphy, now 63, is returning to his iconic role as Axel Foley, three decades later, in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Here, the dad-of-ten (yep, you read that right…) talks about returning to the hit franchise after all this time – and how he coped with the movie’s action scenes, despite his grandfather status... Eddie, it’s been 30 years since the last Beverly Hills Cop movie and 40 since the first. How hard was it to get back into character? Not hard at all. Playing this Axel character is like riding a bike, to me. Yes, it’s been a long time since I played him, but Axel has never left me –…

At just 27, high jump superstar Morgan Lake, is about to have three Olympic Games under her belt, with Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and soon to be Paris 2024. The stunning sports star features in Path to Paris: The Hunt for Gold – a new documentary currently on Channel 4 catch up. The programme follows British athletes as they prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and offers a unique insight into how National Lottery players support them on their journey. Here, the gorgeous powerhouse – trained by her dad, Coach Eldon – from the age of just five, tells us more… Morgan – the Olympic Games are just around the corner, how are you feeling about it all? I’m just super excited. I woke up this morning feeling ready…

IN A SANDAL TANGLE The Summer sandal is well and truly here and even though there may be rainy days when a leather slip-on is desirable – or dare I suggest, a protective clog? – August is the month to seriously start ‘outing’ our toes. So off I went to the high street, to get a feel for this season’s ‘open-toe’ look. The main issue cropping up was how to distinguish the ‘old-lady’ (as I am one) strappy, spongy Clarks’ children’s replica adult sandal (I loved mine when I was seven) from the edgy remake of the strappy, chunky sandal in primary colours that can now be found in many a Dr Martens shop and other punky shoe outlets. And if, like me, you have an extra-wide fitting and a…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT Lanzarote is famous for its desert and perfect conditions for swimming, running and cycling, but it’s also an ideal destination for great food, wine and plenty of R&R. The biggest hotel in Lanzarote, Barceló Playa Blanca is located less than 100 metres away from the beautiful turquoise waters of Playa Dorada, where you can take a dip, stroll along the golden sandy beaches and unwind. Next door to Barceló Playa Blanca is the Marina Rubicón, filled with local craft shops, bars and restaurants and leisure areas to chill out in. INSIDER’S GUIDE Get ready to be blown away when stepping into the lobby and embrace the magnificent view of the hotel’s pools, accompanied by the view of Lobos and Fuerteventura across the ocean. The interior is a work…

‘I bet you didn’t know there’s a Facebook group that only allows ‘dull men’ to join it? It’s called ‘The Dull Men’s Club’, or DMC for short, and the most unbelievable thing is, not what they discuss, like drain covers and shoe sizes for example, but that it currently has 1.4million members! They called it ‘Yawn Porn’ in the article I read, and because I was curious to know what people thought, I headed straight for the comments. Sadly, there were none, not one – literally no one was interested! Which proved conclusively that it did indeed do what it said on the tin. But I am and I was keen to know more. So, because I don’t have Facebook, I had to find someone who has, to spy on…

Mother of the bride (or groom) duty coming up? Or maybe it’s another big occasion in the diary this Summer. Our clinic is full of people looking for last-minute tweaks to freshen up for the big day and beyond. Find out how you can pamper yourself with these fast but effective treatments. NEAUVIA NLIFT If your skin has lost its bounce and is feeling a bit sallow, Nlift uses a mix of skin-boosting methods including exfoliation, infrared light therapy, skincare and subtle filler injections to target both the upper and deeper layers of skin to promote regeneration and repair. You’ll need to book in for two sessions but results are usually instant, lasting for weeks. From £1,200. DERMAL FILLERS Perfect for adding fullness to cheeks, lips and jawline, these small…

Opening a cheeky bottle of supermarket rosé, I gaze up at the stars. ‘This is the life,’ I smile at my hubby as we chink glasses. It’s after 9pm, but the air is still balmy, there’s the fragrant smell of rosemary and – after changing 21 beds – I feel I’ve earned my chilled glass of reward. This is our life in a sleepy hamlet in the South of France… and the best thing about it? We own the lot! It’s a far cry from our old life in Timperley, Manchester. Dave and I met when I was working for a radio station in Birmingham. When we first got together, one of our main conversations was about the dream of living abroad. ‘Where, though?’ he quizzed me over drinks. ‘France?’…

‘Pancakes are ready!’ I shouted, trying to make myself heard over the TV. The kids came racing in and sat at the table, ready to eat. It was a weekend ritual. Every Saturday, I made pancakes, waffles or French toast and we’d sit and have breakfast together as a family. As the kids, Harrison, now 12, and Xanthe, nine, tucked in, I did too. But it hadn’t always been like this… I’d grown up in Kenya and was 15 when I first went on a diet. I was a normal-sized kid, not overweight, but it seemed a natural thing to do. My mum was doing WeightWatchers, my aunties were on diets… every adult around me seemed to be counting calories. I was quite sporty, and I’d often be in cycling…

The landscape of consumerism has changed dramatically. Nowadays, we can have food delivered to our door in an instant, clothes posted through our letter box within 24 hours – and we can do it all from the comfort of our sofas. But from the Sixties to the Nineties, the British high street was booming. Family and friends would make a day of it to go shopping, treat themselves to lunch in the BHS café nestled in the store basement – and all that after withdrawing cash having queued in the bank. ‘Shopping was an experience, not just a function,’ Birds Of A Feather star Lesley Joseph says in a new Channel 5 programme The High Street Stores We Loved & Lost. This focuses on the shops we adored that no…

BEST TRAVEL WRITER JANE ANDERSON FASHION-FORWARD HOTSPOTS The recent sellout exhibition about Coco Chanel at London’s V&A South Kensington is a classic sign of how intrigued Brits are by French fashion. Her influence is all over Paris, but while Chanel’s boutiques may look intimidating, I guarantee that if you pluck up the courage to go inside, you’ll be charmed. I recommend the iconic shop at 21 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. My favourite French designer, though, has always been Yves Saint Laurent for his sharp tailoring and dedication to colour. Just minutes from the Champs Élysées is the Yves Saint Laurent Museum (museeyslparis.com) housed in his former fashion house HQ on Avenue Marceau, where he worked from the 1960s to 2002. It’s fascinating to see the story of his rise to…

Home decor enthusiast Erin Conway (@kismet_house) has hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers. Here, we’ve selected just a few of our favourite snaps from her lovely home...…

Have I done the right thing, I keep asking myself as I walk my granddaughter Jen home from school. No point in second-guessing yourself, says the voice in the back of my head, which sounds suspiciously like the brisk tone of my daughter, Ziggy. Despite her nickname – which she got on school sports day when she ran outside the white lines in the 100m sprint and ended up disqualified – Ziggy, aka Sandra, is as conventional and organised as they come. Growing up, she had a colour chart on her bedroom wall where she’d tick off each subject as she revised for her exams. I kind of feel (and this may be disloyal of me) that she’s taken a similar approach to her subsequent life. University and good job:…

When she took over as a co-host on This Morning, Cat Deeley and her presenting partner in crime, Ben Shephard, were seen as a welcome breath of fresh air, following the troubled departures of both Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. But ahead of the new hosts Summer hiatus, some viewers are saying they need a break from watching Cat… According to frustrated fans of the ITV morning show, the 47-year-old regularly says the phrase, ‘love, love, love’ when she’s particularly interested in or enthusiastic about something – and they said once you notice it, it quickly begins to grate. One agitated viewer took to X, and ranted, ‘#thismorning If she says Love, Love, Love one more time, I’m going to throw, throw, throw my remote at the TV!’ While another…

TOP TIP This versatile tunic will also look great with straight leg jeans and wedges.…

‘ Keep both feet on the ground!’ I was warned. ‘You don’t want to get tangled in any rope.’ It was 1978, I was 18 years old and I’d been dragged up the cold and draughty tower of a church in Camberley in Surrey. It was all my boyfriend’s fault. He was a bellringer – but one of the other guys in the band thought he was coming on to his wife! ‘Come with me, just once, I need to prove I’ve got a girlfriend!’ he’d begged. I’m pretty open-minded – I’ll give most things a go. That’s how I found myself climbing the ladder and through the hatch of Yorktown Church tower one Wednesday evening after college. I’d only agreed to going as a one-off, but once I had…

Swiping through profile pictures on Tinder, a silver-haired man with a lovely smile caught my eye. I swiped right and was delighted when ‘match’ flashed up on the screen. I could see how this might become addictive… I never imagined I’d be dating again at the age of 51, but life had thrown me a curveball. I’d been with my partner for 30 years, and we were planning to move from our home in Edinburgh to the Scottish countryside. However, in February 2022, the relationship broke down and I was faced with starting over. As an expert in change management, I teach people ‘Change Ninja’ techniques based on neuroscience so that they’re able to cope with big, scary changes. Now I needed to use those tools to rebuild my own…

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Chicken and mango salad Summer on a plate, this fruity salad relies on juicy ripe mangoes to make a smooth dressing. Hands-on time: 30min. Cooking time: about 15min. Serves 4 FOR THE SALAD 3 skinless chicken breasts FOR THE DRESSING Juice 1 lime 1 For the salad, working 1 at a time, put the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of baking parchment and bash with a rolling pin to flatten to an even 5mm thickness. Rub over the oil and season. 2 Heat a large griddle or frying pan over high heat. Griddle/fry the chicken (in batches if needed) for 2-3min per side, or until cooked through (see TIP, below right). 3 Meanwhile, put ¾ of the mango into a large bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes, avocados, onion, chilli, Little…

TOP TIP! Create a stunning tablescape by mixing orange with lemon and lime or classic white plates.…

She may be busy hosting the Olympic Games this year but 51-year-old sports presenter Gabby Logan faced another challenge in 2022 when her former Rugby player husband, Kenny (who she’s been married to for two decades) was diagnosed with prostate cancer. After surgery, he was given the all-clear, much to the relief of the family, including their 18-year-old twins Reuben and Lois. Here, Gabby shares why she has a lot to be thankful for. Gabby, Paris 2024 is here! How are you feeling about it? It was my dream to compete at the Olympics and a huge source of regret that I quit gymnastics a year or so out from a Games because of an injury. So, to get to scratch that itch and be around these amazing uber-women by…

SHOULD I DRESS FOR MY AGE? I’m 65 – and I still have clothes in my wardrobe from when I was in my 30s. I love it! I get a lot of compliments on my figure – but the other day, a so-called friend of mine told me I should start dressing my for my age, and that I looked like ‘mutton dressed as lamb.’ I was so hurt. Yes – I still love miniskirts and leopard print, so why should I stop? Anne, Kent Your friend is obviously jealous of your style and panache. You adore fashion and take pleasure in putting stunning looks together and wearing them with joy. Don’t change a thing. Clothes are all about expressing individuality and your unique taste is a vital part of…

LEO 24 July – 23 August Awwww! You’ll sense a loving warmth and happiness around you, which could be linked to people, places or time spent recalling fond memories. Make the most of this upbeat, positive vibe by catching up on all the things you’ve been longing to do, and don’t worry about missed chores – the world won’t end if there’s an unwashed cup! VIRGO 24 August – 23 September The softly, softly approach to a certain thorny issue or challenge is getting you nowhere, but as Mercury shifts into your sign you’ll find it far easier to say what you think! Being direct is what’s needed to sort things out and doing this – albeit with your usual politeness – should lead to the outcome you want. LIBRA…

Star of Gossip Girl and The Age of Adaline (and married to one of Hollywood’s hunkiest actors - Ryan Reynolds) American beauty Blake Lively, 36, is living most people’s dream... Now heading back to the big screen with her new movie It Ends With Us (released 8/9 August worldwide), the blonde bombshell reveals what made her want to be part of this emotional drama based on the 2016 best-selling romance novel by Colleen Hoover, while balancing being a mum to her four young children. Blake shares daughters James, nine, Inez, seven, Betty, four, and another, born in February last year, with Ryan. Here, she reveals all... Blake, were you nervous about living up to the expectations of those who love this book? It’s a huge responsibility to do something…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES The answer will appear in the shaded boxes and this is your prize answer. Enter by using the numbers at the top of the grid or at hearstmagazines.co.uk/bestcross3024 ACROSS 1 7 8 9 10 11 13 15 17 DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 12 14 16 18 19 20 James Hetfield is the lead vocalist of which heavy metal band? The answer will appear in the shaded squares. Phone and online entries open 23 July 2024 until midnight on 9 August 2024. Over 18s only. †Calls cost 65p per min plus your telephone company’s network access charge, and should last no longer than 2 mins. Service provided by Spoke (0333 202 3390). *For full T&Cs see…