Índex per 09-2020 a Best

Last week on This Morning, our lovely columnist Ruth Langsford broke down in tears. She is, despite her celebrity status, a private person, and you could see talking about the recent suicide of Love Island star Caroline Flack brought back painful memories of her sister Julia, who took her own life last summer. ‘You are left with the what-ifs…’ Ruth said, holding back the tears. Suicide is not something we often discuss but it touches many families. Especially, those, like Ruth’s, left behind asking themselves if they could have done anything differently. Maybe, in an effort to help prevent more people taking their own lives in the future, we need to remember Caroline’s words: ‘In a world where you can be anything, be kind.’ Please let me know your thoughts,…

Since Harry and Meghan flew the coop in early January, they have only put tentative feet forward in their new roles as Canadian residents, under the brand ‘Sussex Royal’. But - in a stern reminder of who, ultimately, is the boss – The Queen is said to have banned them from using the word ‘royal’ in their brand name. The ban, believed to be the result of talks involving senior officials, will come as a blow to the couple, who have trademarked ‘Sussex Royal’, have 11.2 million followers on their Instagram account and have invested in a slick website. They started using the branding after they split from William and Kate, this time last year, which meant they no longer shared the branding ‘Kensington Royal’. Of course, since then, events…

They’ve both got dashing husbands, a brood of four and matching fashion empires. So Victoria Beckham, 45, and Stella McCartney, 48, should have plenty to bond over. But it seems Stella has unfollowed her one-time friend on social media… While neither woman has commented, Posh is understood to have infuriated Sir Paul’s daughter after she went behind her back and poached her nanny by offering her more money. A source said, ‘Victoria… heard on the playground grapevine that Stella’s nanny was one of the best in town. She got her number and made her a lucrative offer to jump ship. When Stella found out, she went nuclear. This was blow number one.’ But it seems the final nail in the friendship coffin came when Victoria tried to recruit Stella’s head…

Q I have dark patches on my upper lip, which makes it look like I have a moustache! How can I disguise or treat this? It’s really getting me down.Belinda, Hull A DR AAMER SAYS: This is a very common skincare struggle and is caused by excess melanin production, sun damage, hormones, or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from hair removal using threading or intense pulsed light (IPL). SmartXide laser resurfacing will destroy pigment in the epidermis by taking off the skin’s surface layer. This pushes the pigmentation of the deeper layers to the surface, and can eliminate any discolouration. Usually a course of three to four treatments are needed, with around three to five days for the downtime. Expect to pay around £750. LESLEY SAYS: One of the most common misconceptions about…

Steak supper A classic dish to serve up when staying in on a Saturday night! Cooking the perfect steak is all about letting it rest before, and after, you’ve cooked it and buying the best quality you can afford, of course! PER SERVING CALS 916 FAT 74g SERVES 2 100g butter, room temperature1tbsp fresh parsley, chopped3 sprigs of thyme250g dry-aged rump steak x23 cloves of garlic (1 crushed to a paste, 2 cracked whole)Seasoning1tbsp olive oil250g spinachJuice and zest of ¼ lemon½ medium onion, diced 1. To make the garlic butter; mix together half the butter with the chopped parsley, crushed garlic and a pinch of seasoning. Once combined, wrap in cling film, roll into a sausage shape and place into the fridge until you ready to use. 2. Remove…

PISCES 20 February – 20 March Pisceans like Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood and James Bond actor, Daniel Craig, will make great progress through exploiting their talents and abilities. Take this chance to turn plans into bold action and show everyone what you’re made of. GEMINI 22 May – 21 June Discussions in the family will lead to some important agreements. Although this will mean big changes are ahead, it won’t be in an overwhelming way. Progress will be slow and pleasing, and you will find it easy to adapt to unfamiliar situations. Projects that require a lot of energy keep you motivated. VIRGO 24 August – 23 September You’re working with someone whose work does not come up to your high standards. Criticising their effort will only…

Francesca Annis, 74, has three grown-up children. A star of stage and screen for more than 50 years, she lives in London. So, what attracted you to Flesh and Blood? It has the absolute classic opening to a thriller. It is a real page-turner. Unexpected things keep coming up. There are lots of twists and turns that made me laugh and a couple of things that I gasped at. Tell us about your character… Vivien is a very interesting, contemporary woman. She has been career-focused and is now heading for her 70th birthday. Having lost her husband, Terry, some 18 months before, she’s taking on board whatever life may throw at her, which includes a new relationship with a man called Mark (Stephen Rea). How did Vivien and Mark meet?…

A new season calls for a new wardrobe and what better place to shop ’til you drop than Next? From classic tailoring to casual weekend wear, there are a myriad of outfits waiting to be worn. Don’t forget the brilliant range of on-trend homeware available, too, for easy updates to give your abode a spring makeover. Ten lucky best readers can win a £50 Next gift card. To enter, see right. HOW TO ENTER ONLINE: Save money by entering online at hearstmagazines.co.uk/best920 by 5 April 2020. POST: Send a postcard with your name, address, email and contact number to best/Next giveaway, GVBSTL20145, Hearst Magazines UK, The Data Solutions Centre, Worksop S80 2RT by 5 April 2020. PHONE: Call 0901 027 2712 by midnight on 5 April 2020. Calls cost 30p…

I’m furious. My fists are clenched, and my chest is heaving with murderous rage as my husband, Mark, and I discuss where to put the fridge in our new home. ‘If we put it there, it’ll ruin the views of the kitchen,’ I scream. ‘Well I do all the cooking,’ Mark replies calmly. ‘And it’s more convenient there.’ I shout, I rant, I cry… In hindsight, it’s embarrassingly trivial and, if I’m honest, Mark’s suggestion makes more sense. Except I can’t laugh about it. And this is just one meltdown of many… It should have been a happy time. Mark, now 58, and I had moved to a gorgeous Cotswolds property, he was taking early retirement and our youngest was about to fly the nest. Yet here we were, fighting…

Time for tee The easiest way to wear the trend! V-day A plunge jumper is universally flattering. Jump to it A classic Breton jumper will stay in style for years. Shift work This dress is a spring wardrobe staple…

HOW IT WORKS 1 There’s no better way to lose weight than to turn back the clock and follow a diet similar to how your gran used to eat, say experts. 2 It’s thought that minimising processed food and cooking from scratch daily, with fresh food sourced mainly from a greengrocer’s, butcher’s or fishmonger’s – just like your gran did – could boost weight loss. 3 What’s more, a recent groundbreaking study by the National Institutes of Health in the USA also backs this up. Researchers were finally able to prove that processed food, which forms part of most modern diets, is bad news for slimmers. 4 When volunteers were asked to try both a processed diet and an unprocessed diet of equal calories, the results showed that dieters ate…

It was a double celebration – so we had two cakes. One for our 20th wedding anniversary and one for my 40th birthday. Standing next to my husband, Mike, as we posed for pictures – me in a red dress with a plunging neckline – I thought I looked really good. I love the colour red and the neckline showed off my only good assets – my boobs. It was only afterwards, when I saw the pictures, that I realised I’d been kidding myself. The pictures made me feel ashamed. Disgusted. I looked like a giant lump. What must my friends have thought? At 5ft 10in tall, I weighed 19st. I hated the way I looked. I cried. And cried. When I was younger I could eat anything I liked…

Extract from SlimFast, Food Not Fomo costs £12 and is available from Amazon FISH & CHIPS WITH MINTY PEAS & SMOKY MAYO Fave fish and chips Prep time: 20 mins Cooking time: 45 mins Serves: 4 597kcal37.6g protein63g carbs21.9 fat 4-6 large carrots, skin on cut into chip shapes (400g)2 large sweet potatoes, skin on cut into chip shapes (400g)2 large potatoes, skin on cut into chip shapes (400g)40g polenta2tsp smoked paprika3tbsp olive oil4 fillets white fish – cod/haddock/ pollock (560g skin removed)1 egg, beaten60g wholemeal bread30g grated parmesan cheeseA few sprays of cooking oil280g frozen peas30g half fat crème fraîcheA few mint leaves100g light mayonnaise1tsp smoked paprika 1 Preheat the oven to 200C Fan, 220C. Place the chips on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil, massaging it into…

…coming into GMB to cover for Piers Morgan Chemistry in television is an alchemy. Sometimes you end up with pure TV gold, and sometimes you end up with sulphuric acid. Susanna [Reid] is an old pal. I first worked with her in Washington 25 years ago. I’m thrilled to be presenting with her again. …living with prostate cancer since 2017 When you have cancer, it’s always there. But currently I feel really good. I have changed my diet and feel healthier than I have in a long time. But because I’m on hormone treatment, I do get hot flushes. I get all red in the face and I have to take my jacket off and cool down. We may need to get a fan for the studio. …the support of…

This Morning viewers were left heartbroken last week as Ruth Langsford opened up about the fresh pain Caroline Flack’s suicide had brought her. Co-hosting the show with husband, Eamonn Holmes, Ruth had been discussing the shock death of the troubled former Love Island host on 15 February – when her emotions overwhelmed her. As actress Nicola Thorp – who admitted she attempted suicide in 2012 – talked about Caroline’s unexpected death, Ruth offered a very personal insight into her own feelings. Seeming to refer to her sister, Julia Johnson, who took her own life last June, the 59-year-old said, ‘You believe you don’t have a choice. But you did have a choice. That’s the sad thing. But there are so many people left behind who say: “So many people loved you… You could…

TOP TIP! A pair of cropped trousers are just as versatile as jeans! Try wearing with your favourite sweatshirt for a relaxed look. TOP TIP! Instead of playing it safe with black, invest in a metallic finish jacket as it will instantly lighten your wardrobe, perfect for spring! TOP TIP! Smart enough for the office, or team with a silk shirt and strappy sandals for a night out.…

TOP TIP! Take empty Body Shop packaging back to the store and they’ll recycle them for you!…

‘She’s a lot like her mother,’ Richard Ratcliffe muses, as his daughter zooms around on a pink scooter. She dismounts and points out an untied shoelace. He laughs. ‘She’s not bad at asserting herself.’ Last October, the 45-year-old accountant was reunited with his daughter for the first time since April 2016. Their story is both a family nightmare and a landmark case of wrongful imprisonment, spanning nearly four years and three different prime ministers. In April 2016, Gabriella and her mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 41, were stopped by Iranian Revolutionary Guards as they tried to leave Tehran at the end of a two-week holiday visiting family. Gabriella was just 22 months old. Nazanin, who has been detained in Iran ever since, was sentenced to five years in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison…

MY BOYFRIEND CHECKS UP ON ME! I have issues with how insecure my boyfriend is – last weekend it was a new level of crazy. He left his night shift to check I was home on Saturday night, ‘like I said I was’. I was horrified! He’s lucky he didn’t lose his job. I almost told him to pack his bags – but he’s never, ever done this before. What would you do?Louise, Norwich I would be extremely wary and most definitely worried. There’s a fine line between a partner who cares for you, and a partner who seeks to control you and dominate every area of your life. Be alert to his behaviour. Is he trying to isolate you from your friends? Is he trying to control what you…

Biscuit with bite McVitie’s has given the classic chocolate digestive a twist this spring, with three new flavours – Cherry Bakewell, Strawberries and Cream and Marmalade on Toast. The biscuit giants want us to vote on which of these limited-edition flavours should be here to stay. Pick up a packet now from all major supermarkets for £1. Sensational snack! Looking for a snack with extra bite? Then grab yourself a tube of the new Pringles Rice Fusion Japanese Katsu Curry, £1.99. These rice-based chips are bursting with delicious Katsu flavour and are perfect for snacking on while watching your favourite box set. HEALTHY CHIPS! Perfectly sweet! If you are following Slimming World or simply fancy a change from standard oven chips, you can’t go wrong with the new Slimming World…

TOP TIP Who says your furniture has to be matching? Contrasting chairs will add a modern look to a classic country kitchen.…

BEST’S CELEB INSIDER TALKS TO DR RANJ SINGH Ranj Singh is the resident doctor on ITV’s This Morning, alongside Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield. The vibrant 40-year-old former Strictly star tells best all about his new weekly ITV show, Dr Ranj: On Call, as he goes back to his roots as a medical professional to help improve the nation’s health. Ranj, who was previously married to a woman before revealing his sexuality to friends and family in his late 20s, opens up about hosting This Morning, and his thoughts on Phillip Schofield… Tell us about your new series, Dr Ranj: On Call.. It’s a dream come true for me to have my own show, where I get to take my day job out to the nation! I will be just giving out some helpful, factual…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT Tucked away in the heart of North Devon, with great views across Mole Valley and all the way to Exmoor on a clear day, you’ll find Highbullen Hotel Golf & Country Club on an unspoilt, 127-acre estate. The hotel, centred on a handsome Victorian arts and crafts manor house, has a phenomenal range of on-site activities and amenities to satisfy every requirement for a relaxing short break. There’s a great spa in a quiet, separate building, offering treatments using gorgeous Elemis products, a seven-hole golf course and leisure activities galore – from tennis and snooker, to a modern gym and 20-metre swimming pool. The house itself has 12 beautifully furnished bedrooms, a choice of cosy lounges, a formal restaurant and a brasserie. Dotted around the grounds are 27…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES 16D has two granddaughters from his son Colin – eldest is Olivia, but who is the youngest? (9). This is your prize answer. See below for details on how to enter. TO ENTER CALL 0900 100 0921 (UK 65ppm)† / 1550 787026 (ROI 97cpm) † CODE: PUBSTN20144 ACROSS 3 If a compass were a clock face, what direction would be at the ‘6’? (5) 6 Fire debris (3) 7 Give a speech (5) 8 What kind of contribution could PUTIN make? (5) 10 ANAGRAM RUNCH 11 EDIT your calorie count! (4) 12 What is another name for the card game Blackjack? (7) 14 Pig’s noise (5) 17 Transmitted (5) 20 What is said to be the lowest form…