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If you’ve never read her memoir, I Am What I Am, ITV’s new mini-series, Joan, starting Sunday night, is the rags-to-riches story of Joan Hannington, Britain’s most notorious – and glamorous – jewel thief. Set in eighties London, the series introduces Joan (played by Sophie Turner, above) as a loving mum to four-year-old Debbie, but following a disastrous marriage (where her hubby goes to prison and her daughter ends up in care), she embarks on a rollercoaster ride from penniless single mum to accomplished diamond thief, stealing millions of pounds’ worth of gems – all to make a home where social services will let her bring Debbie. Did she pay for any of her crimes? Yes – twice – but as she says (somewhat hilariously), she viewed her time spent…

King and Queen of daytime TV for 35 years, Richard and Judy reflected on their glorious reign in a recent TV show, revealing their long on- and off-screen partnership is all really down to… a Rubik’s Cube. Richard was spotted presenting a segment about the Eighties craze for local TV and was then offered a job at Granada, where he met star presenter Judy Finnigan, now 76. At their first meeting, Richard, now 68, was wearing a sky-blue suit and Judy said hilariously, she though he looked like ‘a prat’. Richard was kinder about his now wife. ‘I was sitting at my desk when this hand appeared on my shoulder and I looked up and this beautiful blonde said, ‘Hi, I’m your Mummy,’ and I thought ‘Whaaaaat?’ ‘At Granada, when…

Spotting my friend across the crowded art gallery, I waved. ‘Thanks for the ticket,’ she gushed. Both of us students, we were on a budget. ‘What do I owe you?’ she asked. As always, my standard response followed. ‘Buy me a drink! Let’s just get drunk together afterwards.’ I told myself that was fine. I’d been telling myself my drinking was fine for a long time. I’d started like most people, as a teenager at college. I’d drink more at university, but that was fine because didn’t everyone? When I graduated and got a job in the finance industry in London, boozy lunches lasted all afternoon. One ‘lunch’ lasted 16 hours and that was normal. Everyone was at it, so it was fine. I liked a glass of wine and…

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Pumpkin mac and cheese Serve this dish in the middle of the table for an impressive centrepiece. Make sure you scoop the pumpkin flesh out with the saucy pasta filling to enjoy the whole thing. Serves 4 • 1 pumpkin, about 1.2kg• 3tbsp olive oil• 30g unsalted butter• 30g plain flour• 1tsp English mustard powder• ¼tsp paprika• 500ml milk• 150g mature cheddar, grated• 50g Comté or Gruyère, grated• 300g dried macaroni or spiral pasta• 50g chunky breadcrumbs• 30g Parmesan, grated• Salt and black pepper 1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. 2 Cut the top quarter off the pumpkin and remove the seeds then place the pumpkin on a baking tray. Chop the removed top into 2cm chunks (remove the stalk but only peel if very thick skin) and…

Looking back, I should have walked away from Janice * the first time she put me down in public – but hindsight is a wonderful thing. We were at a friend’s house for a casual dinner (I had only known her for a few months). A medley of middle-aged women, around the kitchen table, joking about our ex-partners, when suddenly she turned to me: ‘Kate, you’re not coping very well with your break-up from Sam*, are you?’ I’d only recently left him. Her question was followed swiftly by ‘maybe you were too demanding and neurotic’ accompanied with a smile. I didn’t say anything, I was too shocked; it felt like a put-down dressed up as concern... I pretended it didn’t bother me, fighting back would have made me look like…

MORE, AND MORE AND MORE! Excess was the key to looking fabulous in the Eighties! Team a jumpsuit with gold accessories and a fur coat for a night-out-on-the-town look. TOP STYLING Joan’s simple shirt dress gets the glam treatment with well-chosen key accessories – oversized sunnies, stiletto heels and a chunky gold chain. SUIT SEASON Up your fashion game with an eighties-style power suit, teamed with an oversized pussy bow blouse…

Who doesn’t love getting ready for Autumn and Halloween? Social media influencer, Stacie, inspires followers on her @cottageonwynn every day!…

1 Find a new favourite Many of us may find we drink alcohol simply because it’s there. If this is you, put away boozy temptation and find a replacement. Tonic water with ice and lemon sipped from a nice glass is surprisingly satisfying. Alternatively, seek non-alcoholic alternatives to spirits (like some soft options can be). Best likes Fluere and Seedlip which are available in selected supermarkets and on Amazon. 2 Seek out your community It’s worth seeking new connections if your social circle rotates around bottles of wine. There are opportunities to talk to others keen to cut back or quit alcohol – and social media accounts to inspire. Instagram account @sobergirlsociety holds a wealth of knowledge and advice on navigating a booze-free life, and founder Millie Gooch hosts regular…

She’s best known for her role as one of the professional dancers on Strictly Come Dancing and the subsequent presenting she’s done for its spin-off, It Takes Two. But there’s a lot more to Janette Manrara than her brilliant footwork... In her new book, Tiny Dancer, Big World: How to Find Fulfilment from the Inside Out, she shares her own poignant stories, from her childhood in a large Cuban immigrant family in Florida and her decision to pursue a career in dance – as well as the challenges and hurdles she experienced in pursuing that ambition. Here, the 40-year-old, who is married to fellow Strictly pro, Aljaž, and has a one-year-old daughter, Lyra Rose, tells us more... Janette, how are you, Aljaž and gorgeous baby Lyra? We’re all great, thank…

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/bestcross4024 ACROSS 4 7 8 9 10 11 12 15 17 20 21 22 23 24 DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 13 14 15 16 18 19 Knightsbridge is a London Underground station on which line? The answer will appear in the shaded squares. Phone and online entries open 1 October 2024 until midnight on 18 October 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…

best magazine, ISSN 0954-8955, is published weekly by The National Magazine Company Ltd, t/a Hearst Magazines UK, c/o USACAN Media Dist. Srv Corp at 26 Power Dam Way Suite S1-S3, Plattsburgh, NY 12901. All rights reserved. No part of best may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Not to be resold, lent, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade at more than the recommended retail price (subject to VAT in Republic of Ireland) or in a mutilated condition. Printed by Walstead Roche Ltd, Victoria Business Park, Roche, Cornwall, PL26 8LX. The publishers, editors and authors accept no responsibility in respect of any products, goods or services that may be…

‘Sometimes, I watch those hoarder programmes on telly and they fill me with horror. Not because of the people who feature, I always feel sorry for them, but because I wonder how it starts. What is the first thing, or group of items, that doesn’t get thrown away and ends up engulfing them? I imagine it’s easily done. I mean, who doesn’t keep buying the same, but slightly different, things you already own thinking they’ll change your life this time? And instead of throwing out the previous version that didn’t change your life either, you keep both. I have a ‘one in, one out’ rule but I rarely stick to it. I know because I’m always having to buy hangers or do what I’m doing now, which is constantly go…

1 HEAD TO THE EXPERTS Finding an NHS dentist has become harder than ever, and you may have to travel to your nearest one. Enter your postcode into the search bar on the ‘Find a dentist’ page of nhs.uk. Not only can they help solve any issues, they can often detect and prevent others that may arise over time. Your dentist will advise how often you need a check up. This could be every three months or every two years, depending on the health of your teeth and gums, and your risk of future problems. 2 PRACTISE GOOD HYGIENE These days, you’re less likely to be given a quick ‘scale and polish’ after your check-up, but if your gums are unhealthy (for example, prone to bleeding), your dentist may recommend…

HOW IT WORKS More of us than ever are suffering from a lack of sleep – and it’s a major factor linked to piling on the pounds. In fact, just four nights of poor sleep can lead to weight gain, according to research. So how much sleep should we be getting? The NHS recommends six to nine hours a night, yet a third of us now get just five to six hours kip! Here’s what you can do to help… FORM GOOD HABITS ● Get up and go to bed at the same time every day.● Limit you caffeine intake – especially at night.● Relax with a book or a mindfulness app an hour before bed. FOODS THAT CAN HELP ● Cherries contain high levels of melatonin, which aids sleep.●…

PARTY PANTS... You know that thing when you get an invitation and then you put it on the mantelpiece and very possibly forget about it until the day before the event? Which may be when you wish you’d had your coat dry cleaned, or roots done in good time? This can be quite a challenge especially if, like me, you prefer to arrive somewhere smart without unsightly stains on your collar (caused by a late-night hot chocolate on the way home) or worse, greasy hair… Anyway, I went to one such special event for a wonderful charity not long ago and dashed quickly inside to escape the rain, and also so nobody could scrutinise my coat for food stains. I was distracted by the sounds of laughter from a room…

It’s hard to imagine having the means and money to wake up in London, decide that day that you fancy a trip to New York, before finding yourself in first class seats, sipping champagne with £20,000 in your pocket by lunchtime. But at the height of Joan Hannington’s dive into the criminal underworld, those impulses became a reality. And it’s Joan’s descent into a criminal career that is the focus of ITV’s latest popular six-part drama series, Joan. Based on her 2002 memoir, I Am What I Am: The True Story of How I Became Britain’s Most Notorious Diamond Thief, it stars Sophie Turner in the title role. ‘She’s one of the most notorious figures in the criminal underworld of London,’ Game of Thrones actor, Sophie, said. ‘I’m so excited…

Described as kind, friendly and a social butterfly, Selma ‘Sally’ Hill had lived a long and happy life. The doting grandmother had lost her husband, but at 80, had found love again. She adored her family too. ‘She was a very generous person,’ her grandson, Eric Hill, says in one of the latest Netflix docuseries to hit our screens. Worst Ex Ever is a follow-on from Worst Roommate Ever and the four-part series shares some harrowing tales, including this one. Sally was found murdered at her Dublin, California home in January 2009, but who could have wanted to harm this innocent woman? According to the programme, it’d all started in the early 2000s when Eric began a new job working in the medical sales sector for Alameda Social Services. There,…

They famously met on Celebrity MasterChef back in 2010, but it wasn’t until a few years later that chef John Torode and actress Lisa Faulkner fell in love. Their relationship went from strength to strength and they tied the knot in 2019, after John, 59, popped the question to Lisa, 52, in Venice. That same year, the pair landed their first cookery show together – John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen. And they’ve not looked back since, as they now return to our screens with series nine. Here, the couple open up about working together, how their kids [John is dad to Casper, Marselle, Jonah, 20, and Lou, 18, and Lisa is mum to daughter Billie, 17] inspire them and how they’ll be celebrating five years of wedded bliss... Hi John…

PETS OF THE WEEK Name: Ollie (black) and Ricardo (grey) Owner: Fisherwood Farm, based in the East Sussex countryside for 11 years. Breed: Carol and Nicki take care of the pair alongside sheep, chickens and therapy Pygmy goats. Guests can even enjoy afternoon tea and feed the alpacas! For more information, visit fisherwoodfarm.co.uk. CALLING ALL PETS! From funny to cute, we’re looking for more pets to star in our ‘Day in the Life’ series. If you think your animal is the perfect match, email bestpets@hearst.co.uk with details of your pet, plus a series of snaps.* *YOUR PICTURES WILL ONLY BE USED ON BEST’S PET PAGE.…

She’s one of the most in demand presenters on the box, winning a National Television Award for her show Sort Your Life Out, earlier this month. But Loose Women panellist Stacey Solomon recently announced to her fans that she was stepping away from one of her long-standing jobs to find a better ‘work/family balance’. Stacey, 35, took to her social media account to share that she had stepped down from her job as an ambassador for fashion brand InTheStyle, a role she’d held since 2021. ‘Today has been a wonderful but emotional day as I shot my LAST EVER collection for InTheStyle,’ wrote Stacey, who is mum to Zach, 16, and Leighton, 12, from previous relationships, as well as her kids with Joe – Rex, five, Rose, three, and Belle,…

TOP TIP Earthy tones work brilliantly with neutral shades for an easy Autumn update.…

People at the school gates often say unprompted how much my daughter, Imogen, looks like me. We both have blonde hair, blue eyes, and toothy smiles. We also have the same way of pursing our lips when we’re concentrating. But, although I carried my daughter for nine months and gave birth to her, genetically she has no more to do with me than any of the other children running around. She was created using a donor egg from a stranger – albeit one selected in the knowledge that she had my colouring, is a similar height to me and is a music lover – and my husband John’s sperm. Having a baby this way was a serious leap of faith – one I was reluctant to take. What if I…

BACK TO SCHOOL It’s great to be back in the Strictly saddle and I was delighted to be reunited with my fellow judges. It feels like we’ve loosened it up a little this year – we’re being a bit more spontaneous and have more banter – as if we were on the sofa at home. I am speaking my mind… more than ever and you know I like to do that darlings! We got together for a little drink too after the show and a catch up and it was fabulous. WONDERFUL VIENNESE WALTZ Tasha and Aljaž’ Viennese Waltz was beautiful to look at. Because she is tall and long legged and has what I call the length of bone for the frame – any ballroom stuff looks better. And…

Currently our skin is taking centre stage in a battle against the elements. One day you’re facing a sharp temperature drop with dry, flaky skin, and the next, you’re squinting into unexpected sunbeams, while wondering why your face feels tight and irritated. Your skincare routine therefore needs to be as flexible as your wardrobe. Whether it’s thicker moisturisers, sunscreen or a tweakment, the goal is to keep your skin balanced, hydrated and happy through the chaos that Autumn and Winter bring. HYDRATION: YOUR SKIN’S BEST FRIEND Colder weather is notorious for sucking the moisture out of your skin. This means hydration is key. Hyaluronic Acid (HA) acts like a sponge, drawing moisture from the environment into the skin. Try products like The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, £27, Harley…

They say enjoy every day – because you never know what’s around the corner. Of course, none of us really believe that something so random could happen that it would turn our world upside down… Until, of course, the day it does. That day for me was 16 January, 2006. It was an ordinary Monday and I was leaving my new hairdressing salon, carrying a box of Christmas decorations to my car. The next thing I remember was coming round lying in the road. I tried to stand, worried I was late to collect my two-and-a-half-year-old son William from nursery. Then someone said: ‘Don’t move – it looks like you’ve broken both your legs.’ I must have been in a state of shock as I started panicking about how on…

A picture speaks a thousand words - and during the Forties, photographer, model and writer Lee Miller took pictures for Vogue as a front-line correspondent. ‘I wanted to do something so I invented the job,’ she said. ‘They asked me what the rules should be, and I said, “Just treat me like one of the boys.” That was long before Women’s Lib, and I felt like a one-woman brigade.’ Now, actress Kate Winslet brings to life the story of the WWII photographer in a new movie for Sky called simply, Lee. Kate, how much did you know about Lee Miller before you became involved in this project? I knew a bit about her… that she was as an ex-cover girl, muse and model, but I quickly realised how much I didn’t…

She shot to fame at just 13 years old when she was cast as Sansa Stark in global hit Game of Thrones. But now 28-year-old Sophie Turner is all grown up, as she steps into the shoes of real-life jewel thief Joan Hannington. The six-part ITV drama follows feisty mum Joan and opens as she’s trapped in a volatile relationship with a criminal called Gary. But when he goes on the run, Joan spots an opportunity to create a brand new life for herself and her little girl – and starts planning elaborate heists, stealing valuable jewels and hiding them at her home. Here, Sophie tells all about her latest project… Hi Sophie. Tell us what attracted you to Joan… It’s a story about a real woman. Joan had an…

GB News star, Eamonn Holmes, who shockingly split from wife Ruth Langsford earlier this year, has never made a secret of the fact his heart truly lies in his native Northern Ireland. In a resurfaced interview, the 64-year-old claimed that the only thing standing in his way of a move back there, was Ruth. Speaking on NVTV’s Conversations With Gerry Kelly last year, he explained: ‘Ruth wouldn’t come back to Northern Ireland. Yes, because of her family and also because she’s English and she sees life around London and things, whereas I can’t stand London. So, we have a different outlook on things like that.’ He even joked about finding himself a new ‘local girl’ to marry – something he no longer needs to look for in Ireland, following his…

Got a problem? Email your questions to AskVanessa@hearst.co.uk SHOULD I LET HIM TRACK ME? My new partner wants to use a ‘tracking’ app on our phones, to see where I am at all times! He explained it in a very endearing way and I genuinely think he just wants to check in on me every now and then, but there’s something about it I feel quite uneasy about. Not that I’d ever cheat on him or anything, but does he not trust me? Nicole, Glasgow This is an absolute deal-breaker. Of course you should not agree to being tracked by your partner. You are not a child. You are not his property. He has no right or reason to know exactly where you are at all times. You must refuse…

The sea breeze catches in my throat when I see him. He’s sitting outside a café close to the pier, his hands wrapped around a coffee cup for warmth. It’s out of season and he’s the only customer to brave the elements. Except there’s nothing brave about this man. He’s deliberately chosen a spot where no-one will be able to overhear us. I still don’t know why he asked to meet me, or why I agreed. It’s been seven years. Does he think my shattered heart will have healed by now? I could reinvent myself a thousand times, but there’s always going to be a part of me that’s forever shattered. He did that to me. I first met Jude at a friend’s wedding and the connection had been instantaneous.…