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‘Will you dance with me?’ Matt Lucas asked 39-year-old Hermine, an accountant from London, at the start of Bake Off. She giggled and agreed, before following the presenter’s further instructions. ‘On your marks, get set, BAKE!’ he shouted. Off she went and Little Miss Giggles passed with flying colours with a chocolate and marmalade orange battenberg. So far, we’ve said goodbye to four of the contestants (not Hermine), and are left wondering who will be the ultimate ‘Star Baker’ of 2020? I’m sure all viewers have their favourites, yet, for me, one thing is for certain – I’m loving the perfect recipe of Matt Lucas and his gentle, kind humour. And, despite the complaints, I suspect even the PM saw the funny side of that controversial opening scene – ‘Protect…

GOOD TO BE BACK! It’s great to be back, darhlings! I must admit though, returning to the studios for the first time, it felt like being on the moon. You get your temperature checked, you’re given a special make-up mask (glasses with a mask attached) – hilarious. There’s lots of virtual kissing and hugging, and only one person is allowed on the stairwell at a time, which is tricky! I do my make-up and try on my suits in isolation, which is a bit lonely. But it’s still Strictly – I couldn’t be more delighted! OTI’S NEW MAN I was shocked at this pairing, but then pleasantly surprised to see how well Oti Mabuse and her celeb partner, comedian Bill Bailey, look together, I think they’re going to be fantastic.…

TOP TIP! Upgrade your T-shirt with a high-neck blouse. It instantly makes you look like you’ve made a bit of an effort!…

Q I’m working from home and have developed a bad case of ‘tech’ neck – loose skin around the chin with lots of wrinkles on my neck – how can I treat this? Natalie, Bristol A DR AAMER SAYS: Many patients are suddenly concerned with the appearance of their neck and jaw – and yes, too many virtual meetings are usually to blame. The angle of the screen and lighting can emphasise any problems. HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) is a non-invasive procedure that lifts and tightens loose skin in one session. A small handpiece delivers ultrasound pulses that go into the deep connective tissue. There’s no downtime except a little redness and you’ll see best results after two to three months when new collagen has formed. Results can last…

HOW IT WORKS • Limited lines, plumped-up skin and a healthy glow all help you look younger, and eating the right type of anti-ageing foods can help you get them. So what should you eat? • Well, in our three-meals-a-day plan you’ll start with plenty of healthy fats – from foods like oily fish, olives, avocado – that hydrate the skin, plumping out lines and wrinkles. You’ll also eat lots of fruit and vegetables. This is always good for health but some produce, such as tomatoes, blueberries, kiwi fruit and leafy greens like spinach or watercress have specific skin-ageing super-powers. Accompany meals with protein-packed beans or lentils (people who eat lots of these look younger, say Australian doctors) or orange root vegetables like sweet potatoes and butternut squash (which contain…

Pizza the action Enjoy the ever-popular Pizza Express Fiorentina, £5, in the comfort of your own home. This delicious recipe has joined the Pizza Express at home range – all you need to do is pop it in the oven and enjoy with a glass of red, whenever the mood takes you. Go meat-free this bonfire! No Porkies Cumberland Sausages, £2.25 for six at Iceland, are plant-based – made from soya protein, seasoned with sage and black pepper. Delicious in a bun with onions and mustard! BRING US FIGGY YOGURT! Tasty treat If you love yogurt, check out the luxurious new range from Bonne Maman. This fabulously creamy and fruit gourmet yogurt comes in three flavours: Rhubarb & Strawberry, Morello Cherry and, our favourite, Violet Fig! Mix with granola and…

TOP TIP! Transform a dingy corner into a cosy and welcoming space.…

I CAN’T OPEN UP I really struggle making friends and I think it’s because I’ve always been such a ‘closed book’. I’ve got to my mid-40s with friends that I’ve known since I was at school, who still claim they don’t know ‘the real me’. On nights out, we’ll discuss their love lives, private matters and family affairs. I’m a good listener and I enjoy a laugh, but I just feel like I don’t want anyone to know my business, even though they’re sharing theirs and I don’t have anything to hide. It just… doesn’t come naturally. I’d love to be more open – is there anything that could help? Janice, Newcastle MANDY SAYS: Everyone loves a good listener, and I can imagine that people have loved you as an…

TV and radio presenter Kaye Adams, a regular anchor on Loose Women, is finding life a little easier than when best last caught up with her, at the start of the national lockdown. She’s excited that she’s just published a collection of stories about the menopause – with enlightening, sometimes heart-wrenching contributions from famous faces, like Trinny Woodall, Lorraine Kelly and Anthea Turner – the latter revealing her symptoms hit just at the point when her marriage to Grant Bovey was falling apart. Warm, funny and no-holds-barred, Kaye, 57, talks to best about her own experience, her beloved daughters – Charley, 18, and Bonnie, 13 – with husband Ian, and her thoughts on the pandemic… How are you and your family, Kaye? I don’t know myself half the time! Up and down. I think we’re at…

It’s a scenario only those of us who have had seriously ill loved ones can even begin to identify with, but finding a way to cope while her husband lies seriously ill in hospital is understandable to all. And Kate Garraway has explained that her newfound love of gardening is helping her to stay positive as she continues ‘living on a knife edge’. Her husband, Derek Draper, has now spent over six months fighting against Covid-19 and its devastating after-effects. Talking about how she copes watching her husband cling to life, the GMB presenter explained, ‘The garden is past, present and future in one place. By planting plants and nurturing them to grow, it gives you hope for the future.’ Heartbreakingly, asked by her co-host, Piers, about her favourite plant,…

HANGING ON THE TELEPHONE… British Telecom, Domestic & General, Virgin Media… I could go on and on. Just some of the companies who are still blaming long call waiting times on the pandemic. It’s not as if you and a host of others haven’t had time to adapt. It’s more than six months since Coronavirus came knocking and you have had more than enough time to think of a Plan B. Our average wait is 20 minutes, on a good day. Most of us face more than an hour and we are totally fed up with it. PANIC BUYING Do we never learn? There are enough groceries to go around. A pity the same can’t be said for common sense. Walking around my local supermarket looking at empty shelves doesn’t…

He’s used to being in control, so Rob Rinder’s battle with Covid, back in April, left the 42-year-old somewhat lost for words. Not something one would expect from a man whose career, both on and off the television, requires him to speak – a lot! Chatting to best from his Islington home, the former Strictly star is his warm, engaging self, as he opens up about his weight battles over the years, how reality TV got him through the bad times and his ‘main man’… Rob, you had Coronavirus quite badly earlier this year. How are you feeling now? Great, thanks. I always talk about feeling privileged with what I have in life and that applies more than ever now, I am so grateful for my health! I mean, I had some really ugly symptoms.…

Try not to get yourself in an Irish stew looking for these counties of Eire! All are hidden in the usual way, except one – which one? See if you’re right on the next page. SEARCH ME! CLARE CORK DONEGAL DUBLIN GALWAY KERRY KILDARE KILKENNY LIMERICK MAYO MEATH OFFALY ROSCOMMON SLIGO TIPPERARY WATERFORD WEXFORD WICKLOW SUDOK-GO! Fill the grid using the numbers from 1 to 9 only. Each number must appear once in every column, row and 3x3 square. Now, off you sudok-go! ALL SOLUTIONS ON THE NEXT PAGE FACE TIME Have a look at the motley crew below. Who are they and what connects them all? CODE NAME Take That frontman and former X Factor judge Gary Barlow holds the key to solving this cracker of a puzzle! Use…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT This Body Camp in Majorca really is my happy place – and I’ve not had a chance to go since I had my two-year-old son, Reg. I just cannot wait to have a week there again, as it totally resets you. I used to go about three times a year – it really is the best investment you’ll ever make in yourself for feeling good! There’s one in Ibiza and one in Majorca, but the latter just has a special place in my heart – and the best part is, you can go on your own and no one judges you because most visitors have done the same thing! INSIDER’S GUIDE I can’t stand holidays where you’re just lounging around in the sun and baking – I have…

The toilets at work isn’t the most likely setting for the start of a love story, is it? But that’s exactly where I met my husband, Paulo, now 35! It was February 2011 and, after ditching my job in engineering to start my own wellness business, I’d moved to a new office complex. Trouble was, the communal areas were always filthy. One day, though, the place was spotless. ‘I’ve got to thank whoever did this,’ I thought, heading to the loos to find my mystery mopper. As the doors swung open, I clapped eyes on Paulo. He was absolutely gorgeous. ‘You’ve done a wonderful job,’ I said, feeling flustered. ‘Thank you for your hard work.’ I felt an instant connection with him, but after being single for 10 years, romance…

WAKAME One of Japan’s best-kept skin secrets, this antioxidant-rich seaweed is derived from an exotic kelp (actually a sea algae) and can be eaten both fresh and dried, but when used as skin care it comes into its own, stimulating collagen for smooth, plump, more youthful skin. Rich in vitamins and minerals as well as calcium, sodium, iron and potassium, it also helps to soothe the skin from any inflammation. TRY: Green People Beauty Boost Skin Restore, £21, which combines all the magic of a facial in one treatment and contains the superhero ingredient that is wakame. WATERMELON Packed with vitamins A, B6, C and E, watermelon is the new must-have skin care ingredient. Although mostly made up of water, it still manages to cram in antioxidant lycopene and essential fatty…

Chunky Vegetable Stew This delicious and quick vegetable stew is loosely based on the French-inspired ratatouille dish; served with rustic bread, this makes the perfect vegetarian dinner or a wonderful side to a larger meal. Feel free to add any other veg you might have! PER SERVING CALS 765 FAT 25g SERVES 4 500g new potatoes, halved60ml olive oil1 red onion, diced3 cloves garlic, chopped1 courgette, cut into 2in chunks1 aubergine, cut into 2in chunks1 broccoli, cut into florets6 cherry tomatoes, halved1tbsp honey1tsp ground cumin1tsp smoked paprika500g passata100g black olives, ideally kalamataPinch chilli flakes, optional10g fresh parsley, chopped2 baguettes, to serve 1 Simmer potatoes in salted boiling water for about 10-15 mins until tender, then drain. 2 While the potatoes are cooking, heat a separate pan and fry the onions…

It may have happened 10 years ago, but the details of the case are just as compelling – and horrifying – now. A young woman going missing after festive drinks with colleagues, her body found under a mound of snow on Christmas Day, a mysterious landlord, a silent neighbour… It was a case that captivated the country at the time, so it’s no wonder that British broadcaster Dermot Murnaghan has decided to return to the murder of Joanna Yeates as part of his new series, Killer Britain with Dermot Murnaghan. On the night of Friday 17 December 2010, Joanna had kissed her boyfriend Greg Reardon goodbye as he headed up to Sheffield to see family for the weekend and she, in turn, went to the Bristol Ram pub to see…

FINANCIALLY Fabulous Join our campaign and get your finances sorted at hearstmagazines.co.uk/ffbest for money-saving tips and brilliant advice on being financially savvy. 1 USE YOUR CURRENT ACCOUNT TO SAVE Most of us use our current account to manage money on a day-to-day basis, but look closer and you’ll see these accounts do in fact offer competitive interest rates if you’re in credit and you deposit a certain amount in each month: Nationwide Flex Direct – 2 per cent interest on balances up to £1,500 and 0.25 per cent on anything above that. You must deposit at least £1,000 into the account each month, which could be your salary. Virgin Money Current Account – 2.02 per cent on balances up to £1,000. TSB current account – you may be getting 1.5…

Asked if she feels there are any silver linings so far to this challenging year, Kaye is stumped, until, with a wry laugh, she comes up with one. ‘Resilience. The power of the human spirit. If you’d told me we’d still be in this situation back in March, I’d have said to you, “I can’t do it”. But we are here, and we are doing it.’ She adds, ‘I have a faith that we’ll navigate a way through this, that I didn’t have in March. I’m not loving it – I still want to go back to my old life, but the fear somehow is gone – and that feels better. As my late mum would say, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger”.’…

LIBRA 24 September – 23 October Libra is a creative and caring sign. Actors like Hollywood A-list comedians Jeff Goldblum and Ryan Reynolds, like other Librans, are likely to be more receptive to new group opportunities, loving connections and new ways in which they can help others this week. CAPRICORN 22 December – 20 January Your mind is sharp and when you’re dealing with legal or financial contracts, there’s not a thing you’ll miss. You may not consider yourself to be intuitive but you will sense when someone wants to talk and cannot find the words. Gently encourage them to reveal their feelings. ARIES 21 March – 20 April You aren’t happy with plans being made to take the place of events that can no longer continue. You will try…

The Real Housewives of Cheshire are back – bringing socially distanced drama to a small screen near you! Series 12 of the hit reality show, airing each Monday, will be followed by the highly anticipated Reunion show this Winter. Dawn Ward, Ester Dohnalová, Hanna Kinsella, Lauren Simon, Nicole Sealey, Rachel Lugo, Seema Malhotra and Tanya Bardsley are all back – but there’s a surprise in store for the ladies when they are joined by bombshell new housewife Lystra Adams – who Dawn Ward tells us she knows all too well… What can we expect from this season? Obviously being in lockdown, with everything going on, there are much bigger problems than petty arguments. I don’t think I have had an argument yet! I am actually in a much more chilled…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES What is PICTURE A’s real forename – which he only discovered himself on his first day at school? (8) This is your prize answer. Enter by using the numbers at the top of the grid or at hearstmagazines.co.uk/bestcross4320 TO ENTER CALL 0900 100 0922 (UK 65ppm)†/1550 787 027 (ROI 97cpm) † ACROSS 7 What is the fastest bird across land? (7)9 See 12A10 You can’t make a silk ___ out a sow’s ear, saying (5)11 What is the name of the small short-tailed rodent wrongly believed to throw itself, en masse, off cliffs? (7)12 & 9A PICTURE A Island country where his parents are from and where he went to discover his roots in the first series of…

Anthea Turner has revealed she has a bit of an unusual interest – wandering around graveyards! And far from creepy, the TV presenter finds the experience of wandering past headstones ‘strangely peaceful’. ‘I’ve never been spooked by graveyards,’ she confessed. ‘Even as a child, I’d be fascinated, wandering around with my dad, any time the family went to church.’ ‘We look at all these dead people’s stories and say things like: “Ooh, that poor girl was only 12 when she died – I wonder what happened to her?” ‘You see some lovely old-fashioned names, like “Fanny”… ‘And did you know, Beatrix Potter, when she got stuck on names for her stories, would go and visit graveyards for inspiration?’ As a child, Anthea was obsessed with the idea of finding a…

Ranvir, of course, is not the first Good Morning Britain presenter to take part in Strictly – and two of her colleagues, Susanna Reid and Kate Garraway, had some pearls of wisdom for their pal. ‘Susanna Reid’s immediate advice was at all costs to try to avoid the cha-cha and the samba. But I don’t know if I can avoid them!’ laughs Ranvir. Her colleague, Kate Garraway, meanwhile, told her to waste no time getting down to it in training: ‘Kate said, you realise a few weeks in how serious the training is, so don’t miss the opportunity to really hit the ground running and take it seriously right at the beginning.’…

Age spots, wrinkles, blemishes – all typically things we’ll find on our faces, but of course, they crop up on the rest of our body, too. If you want to give your normal washes and lotions an upgrade, here’s your chance, with a new raft of products aimed at caring for your skin from the neck down. Fake it yourself Homemade body mask Face masks are ten a penny in the beauty world, but what about body masks? If your skin needs an intensive treatment then it’s a good way to give it a serious moisture boost. After using a body scrub, apply a mixture of 1tbsp honey with 2tbsp plain yogurt (mix together in a bowl first) and leave on your skin for up to 10 minutes before rinsing…

TOP TIP! Recycle old mascaras for Boots advantage card points. Find your nearest bank at boots.com/boots-recycling-scheme*…

Chocolate fudge cake • ¾ cup (180ml/6 fl oz) light-flavoured extra virgin olive oil• ½ cup (125ml/4¼ fl oz) milk or nut milk• ½ cup (125ml/4¼ fl oz) pure maple syrup• 6 eggs • ½ cup (110g/4 oz) raw caster (superfine) sugar • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 3 teaspoons baking powder • ¾ cup (75g/2½ oz) cocoa powder, sifted • 3½ cups (420g/14¾ oz) almond meal (ground almonds) Chocolate frosting: • ¾ cup (180g/6¼ oz) smooth cashew butter• ½ cup (125ml/4¼ fl oz) pure maple syrup• ⅓ cup (35g/1¼ oz) cocoa powder, sifted• 2 tablespoons milk or nut milk 1 Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Line 2 x 20cm (8 inch) round cake tins with non-stick baking paper. 2 In a large bowl add oil, milk, maple, eggs, sugar…

MasterChef semi-finalist, cookery book author and best columnist Theo Michaels has launched the ultimate service to help busy households create delicious family-friendly dinners, taking away the stress of deciding what to cook. FiveDinners.com is an online meal planning service featuring tasty recipes exclusively from the FiveDinners chefs. Each week members receive five easy-to-make delicious recipes, along with one complete shopping list, meaning you only buy what you need; saving money, time and food waste. FiveDinners.com has teamed up with best to offer readers free membership for a month. To find out how to claim, see right. HOW TO CLAIM 1 Visit fivedinners.com/best – enter password ‘best’ 2 Complete a small sign-up form. You’ll need to supply your name, email, address and password of your choice. 3 You’ll then receive an…

HE’S SO EMBARRASSING! Call me superficial, but I cannot stand my husband’s burgeoning dress sense. It’s always been a little out-there but now he’s in his 50s, it’s gone completely mental (is he having some kind of midlife crisis?). I feel like he should tone it down – he wears loud band T-shirts and ripped jeans like he’s 21, not 54! I know this sounds terribly snobbish of me, but it’s so embarrassing and not how people know him. Should I tell him to change, or just embrace this new outlandish style? Paula, Midlothian Frankly, this is none of your business, or mine! He’s a grown man. It is up to him to make his own fashion choices and dress exactly as he fancies. It doesn’t matter if he’s the…

Beautiful, talented and loved-up with her Norwegian fiancé, chiropractor Marius Jensen, Kara Tointon – mum to the couple’s son, Frey – has had an OK year, all told! The 37-year-old, who appears in Sky’s cult series Urban Myths, tells us more… Your cameo is in an episode of Urban Myths about the ghost of Handel meeting Jimi Hendrix, as the musicians lived in the same building 246 years apart. How was it? It’s a great mash-up of randomness and comedy. The year is 1743, and I play Kitty Clive, who was a real actress from London – a fun, feisty girl who would sing Handel’s work, and fought for actresses to be taken seriously. I was like Marie Antoinette with this silver/white wig, the big cage under the dress and bustle…

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE It takes something particularly shocking to grasp our horror away from Covid deaths and it happened in Newcastle, where not one but four young people lost their lives to drugs. Hopefully, it will not be long before Covid-19 goes away. The same can’t be said for the lure, temptation and lethal nature of various drug cocktails. All of those young lives lost were important and tragic, and three of them shared a common rite of passage by being university students. Two of them freshers by only a few days. Like tens of thousands of other first-year students, 18-year-old Jeni Larmour’s parents drove her and settled her into the new life that awaited their daughter for the next three years. But that life didn’t even last for the next…

Do you have an idea for a short story with a wintry theme? If you think you have a great idea, then why not take a shot at our latest fiction competition? We are looking for stories – (maximum 1,200 words), that can have a festive feel, or, if you prefer, a more wintry chill – as long as they’ll go well with a mulled wine by the fireside. HOW TO ENTER Send your story along with your name, email address and phone number to: bestfiction2020@hearst.co.uk with ‘Winter fiction’ in the subject title by 13 November 2020 and a winner, plus two runners-up, will be picked shortly afterwards, chosen by a team at best. T&Cs: We will use the information you provide to process your competition entry. For our privacy…

This year’s triumphant BGT winner, Jon Courtenay, admits that winning the £250,000 prize will help his family survive – having racked up huge debts after his work on cruise ships dried up overnight, due to Covid-19. The 47-year-old comedy singer, who won this year’s show with an impressive 35.7 per cent of the public vote, opens up about how performing at The Royal Variety Show will be the highlight of his career, and how his wife, Emma, and two boys, Nathan and Alfie, inspired him to go on the show… Congrats on your well-deserved win, Jon! Thank you. It’s all been a bit of a whirlwind and it hasn’t quite sunk in yet! I’m still not sleeping much; I’m still so wired from the final. I think it’s a shame Simon wasn’t there…