Table of contents for 43 - 2016 in Best

Currently lighting up our TV screens every Saturday night as one-fourth of Strictly Come Dancing’s stellar judging panel, Darcey Bussell, 47, is riding high. Away from the popular BBC show, she has been married to investment banker Angus Forbes for almost two decades and is mum to daughters Phoebe, 15, and Zoe, 12. How did you feel about Will Young quitting Strictly? It was sad when Will left. Unfortunately, as judges, we’re not allowed to see the rehearsals or what happened during the week, so you don’t know the ins and outs. You only arrive on the day of the live show. And it is horrifying to think that it’s somebody who could have easily got to the final. But you know, like in anybody’s lives, you have many things…

‘If there’s one thing I’ve learnt’ ‘Nothing is as hard as it seems. When you stand at the bottom of a mountain, it can seem daunting. But as you start climbing up, you realise you can do it.’ ‘I wasn’t prepared for strangers’ reactions’ There’s no doubt about it, being a parent can be tough. But for me and my husband, Will Thoms, 32, it can be even more challenging, as we are both blind. My sight was damaged at birth. Born 16 weeks premature and weighing just 1lb 8oz, doctors gave me too much oxygen, which caused irreparable damage to the backs of my eyes. No one realised this when my parents took me home at 13 weeks. But my mum quickly noticed I wasn’t even trying to look…

As the nights draw in, you may feel a bit low about winter’s approach. But for around three people in every 100, the dark, cold months usher in a type of depression known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Like other forms of depression, this needs treatment – so, if you’re a sufferer, it’s vital to get the help you need. EVEN ‘FUN’ IS NO FUN Most of us don’t like the idea of leaving a cosy bed in the winter to trudge off to work. But if you have SAD, it’s very hard to get out of bed, even to do the things you enjoy with the people you love. Incidentally, this lack of pleasure, where you’re not able to motivate yourself to do the good stuff, is a typical…

TOP TIP Anybody can pull off wearing super-comfy sports luxe trousers. Add a tailored shirt for sophistication. The new casual Dressing down has never been so stylish. Inject some laid-back luxe into your wardrobe for a relaxed look perfect for the weekend… • A classic combat jacket with embroidered detailing is great worn with loose-fitted trousers. • Slogan sweatshirts are everywhere. If you’re feeling really fashion-forward, you could wear it with a skirt and court shoes. • Throw an oversized scarf over a plain white T-shirt, and you’ve got the dressed-down look nailed. • Jogging bottoms don’t have to be kept for indoors! Swap jersey for cotton or silk and you can wear them with a pair of strappy sandals for a relaxed yet sophisticated look. Pastel colours like pink…

Stylish skirt Showcase your curves with a midi skirt and boxy jacket. Printed pyjamas Relaxed, wide trousers are great for taller frames. TOP TIP Co-ords don’t need to match exactly. The same print in different colours can also look fab! Trendy tailoring Tapered styles are ideal for athletic figures. Comfy culottes Perfect for petites, and they look great with heels.…

TOP TIP This dish is an investment, but will look stunning at any autumn gathering.…

Fully loaded If you find wraps a bit messy, try Old El Paso’s Mini Stand ‘N’ Stuff Tortillas, £2.39. These manageable bitesize ‘boats’ have a flat bottom which makes them easy to fill, hold and eat. Great to enjoy while sitting in front of the TV, or at any drinks party now or over the festive season. Be a devil… Want to serve up a Halloween indulgence that’s suitable for all ages? Try Mr Kipling Fiendish Fancies, £1. These tasty bites of orange-flavoured sponge and orange fondant are devilishly indulgent, and ever so moreish. Solo sensation Cooking for one? Thanks to Asda, there’s no need to settle for something bland or boring. We love this Extra Special Slow Cooked Lamb and Red Wine Pie, £3, which comes topped with a…

Did you know? Dawn will be back on TV very soon – not as host of The Great British Bake Off, but playing culinary genius Gina in Sky 1’s new drama Delicious, set in Dawn’s beloved Cornwall. While everyone else is enjoying fireworks, bright lights and a few frights this Halloween, you can understand it if Dawn French, 59, chooses to lie low. Not because she’s averse to a good party – instead, Dawn might be worried about getting an attack of the ‘wheelies’, as some sufferers call it. Her brilliant, autobiographical show Thirty Million Minutes (Dawn has just finished a five-night run in London’s West End) has been described as a ‘bold, bawdy roller coaster’. But the real roller coaster is happening inside the star’s own head. Dawn suffers…

TOP TIP Don’t be afraid of winter pastels – blush pink is a great way to lift a winter-worn complexion. TOP TIP A silky thinstrapped dress acts as a nice contrast to a longline cardigan. TOP TIP Layering a slim-fit jumper over a longline shirt can be really flattering, whatever your shape.…

‘I’m the same as Janet. If I get on a plane and there’s a two-year-old sitting next to me, I’m just thinking, “Oh, God, PLEASE be good!”’ An Indian airline, IndiGo, recently announced that it was creating ‘Quiet Zones’ on its flights, where passengers under the age of 12 were forbidden to sit. At the moment, it’s aimed at business passengers who want somewhere quiet to work, but I think it’s a great idea – especially on long flights. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been on the other side of the equation more times than I care to mention: kids fidgeting, screaming (on one memorable flight to Florida, Jake, who was two at the time, kept it up for 10 hours straight), you name it. People tut, sigh and all…

Are antidepressants bad? Q Should I take antidepressants? I have depression and my GP has suggested it, but aren’t they bad for you? A Starting any medication is a big step and you should always consider the negatives as well as the positives. All medicines have side effects, even paracetamol, but antidepressants are very effective at treating depression. The first few weeks can be hard, as often your mood may dip before it improves, and side effects can include appetite changes, tiredness or nausea. But depression is a debilitating illness, so medication is worth considering. Is the mini-pill OK for me? Q Because of my age – I’m 46 – I’ve been told to take the mini-Pill as contraception. Is that the best one for me? A Usually, once women…

‘I woke up in hospital. My brain shut down – totally fused. I couldn’t cope with anything’ The first time Sharon Osbourne, 64, made a slip-up relating to Saara Aalto live on The X Factor (mistakenly introducing Saara instead of her other act, Relley C), it caused hilarity amongst her fellow judges. But when she made an even worse faux pas that same night, smiles were turning to expressions of concern. Did you know? In a clear attempt to get back in her good books, Ozzy stormed Sharon’s US chat show, The Talk, earlier this month, brandishing a bunch of flowers for his wife’s 64th birthday. At the tense sing-off stage of the show, Sharon was asked to introduce her act, who had been in the bottom two for the…

‘Now the kids are growing up, I have thought about what will keep us together when they fly the nest’ At some point in our relationship, we’ve all asked ourselves whether our partner loves us – or whether we love them. The results of Loose Women’s Frank & Fearless survey on love, relationships and family were announced last week – and it wasn’t just the show’s viewers who provided the revelations. Popular panellist Coleen Nolan, 51, who has been married to musician Ray Fensome, 58, since 2007, confessed, ‘Sometimes I say to him, “Love you? I don’t even like you!”’ The mum-of-three also admitted, ‘I don’t always know if Ray loves me. The thing is, he’s really shy, and things like emotionally opening up… he feels self-conscious of it. He…

‘Ed Balls will wear a string vest if he gets to the final... he might want to tone up!’ BATTLE OF THE BOYS? I’m not ruling out the girls but, my goodness, Danny Mac and Ore Oduba are just sensational! During Ore’s jive the other week, I was like, ‘WHAT? Are you kidding me?’ They’re both absolutely killing it. Hit with the sniffles I had a terrible cold during the last show. I was all bunged up and couldn’t hear properly as my ears hadn’t popped from my last flight. So I went home, ate half a clove of raw garlic, lots of ginger and that sorted me out. I’m an entertainer, I can’t be ill! THE HARDEST DANCE Daisy and Aljaz have done a great rumba this series, but…

Meet the world’s coolest granny With a whopping 2.3 million Insta-followers, fans can’t get enough of Baddie Winkle – and neither can we. The 88-year-old great-granny from Kentucky – aka Helen Ruth Elam Van Winkle – has become an internet sensation for her outrageous dress sense, hilarious antics and infectious joie de vivre. From this shocking-pink furry coat (which is one of her tamer looks) to rainbow-striped mini skirts, the funloving fashionista shows that you’re never too old to rock a killer look. One of her social media snaps even shows her giving Britney a run for her money in a sequinned nude bodysuit. On her page, she cheekily describes herself as: ‘Badddiiie stealing your man since 1928’ – but, quite frankly, all we want to steal is her sheer…

HOW IT WORKS Ripened by the summer sun, richly coloured veg and fruits like pumpkins, sweet potatoes, carrots, apricots and mangos help you lose weight while also boosting your immune system and mood. 1 Low on the GI (glycaemic index), they contain up to a third less of the sugars that cause blood levels to rise, setting up cravings that make us overeat. 2 These complex carbohydrates are also loaded with vitamins A, C and E, which help to regulate the metabolism. Calories are burned off more quickly, and you lose weight more steadily, too. 3 Add Halloween foods to your diet by putting colourful veg in soups and casseroles, or serve roasted with chicken. 4 Chop up apricots, melon and mango for breakfast smoothies, or as a snack when…

Under £15 ASDA Pure Hygiene Total Power Toothbrush, £5 Could do with a bigger brush head, but not bad for a fiver! Boots Smile Rotating Battery Brush, £6.30 Seems tricky to assemble, but teeth looked whiter and felt cleaner. Wilko Toothbrush Rechargeable Blue/White, £15 With three speed settings (that even includes massage), it’s an impressive bargain buy. TOP TIP Change your toothbrush head every 2-3 months to avoid bacteria build-up on brushes. Under £35 Sonic Chic Urban, £20 Funky and great for travelling. The spare head and battery are an added plus. Superdrug Pro Care Rechargeable Toothbrush, £24.99 Simple to use, but this brush lacked in extra speed settings. Oral-B Pro 2000, £35 The perfect purchase if you want more than basic without blowing the budget! Under £80 Colgate ProClinical…

Lean lasagne I have removed approximately 10 million calories from this lasagne by swapping fatty beef for lean minced pork and substituting a heavy, calorie-laden béchamel sauce for a lovely, light ricotta and Parmesan one. This is also a great meal for all the family. SERVES 4 551 calories; 28.4g fat; 14.8g saturates; 11.8g sugars; 1.5g salt FOR THE RAGU 400g lean pork mince 1tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped 100ml red wine (optional) 400g can chopped tomatoes Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 bay leaf FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE AND LAYERS 1 egg 250g ricotta cheese A handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 9 sheets of no pre-cook lasagne 150g ball light mozzarella cheese, roughly…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES Both these sets of clues lead to the same answers, revealing in the shaded squares an ITV TV series starring Kevin Doyle (8) STRAIGHT CLUES ACROSS 1 Six-legged creature (6) 5 Edge of the highway (8) 9 Gathering, mass meeting (8) 10 Anticipates (6) 11 Employ, or take advantage of (3) 12 To do with books (8) 14 Indonesian island (4) 15 Cut into portions (5) 17 Slalom competitor (5) 18 A very long time (4) 19 Oaths (8) 23 Overweight (3) 25 Mess up, bodge (6) 26 Person in authority (8) 27 Tutored (8) 28 Breaks into two (6) DOWN 2 Facial feature (4) 3 Operational business person (9) 4 Dining item (5) 5 Regal (5) 6…

Think smart Estimate in eights, as most party packs come in multiples of eight. If you invite 10 children, you’ll spend double! You don’t have to pay for an entertainer as a treasure hunt in the garden, a parent organising games, or face painting can all be done yourself (the Snazaroo Ultimate Party Pack kit has a guide book showing you how to paint different looks for £14). There’s always loads of wastage, so provide jugs of squash instead of individual cartons, and an iced cake for £5 from the supermarket can be decorated using toppers from Amazon. DO IT FOR FREE! Want to learn a new language? Duolingo is one of the best free learning sites. You’ll study vocabulary through reading, writing, listening and speaking. Perfect party bags Instead…