Table of contents for 49-2019 in Best

Hands up, who remembers Only Fools and Horses – and the many repeats – as a huge part of their childhood? ‘Do me a lemon’ is a phrase I still use, while ‘This time next year, we’ll be millionaires…’ still makes me smile. The TV show starring David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst has a place in the hearts of most of us – but especially those who grew up with working-class dads that ‘done good’ back in the Eighties. And it wasn’t only Del who won us over – along with his little bro, Rodney the plonker, there was Grandad. Paul Whitehouse, the actor and writer, is set to star as Grandad in the stage version of the show at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket, from 6 January. ‘He’s a great…

Inside the north London home Vanessa Feltz shares with her fiancé, musician Ben Ofoedu, the décor is every bit as fun-loving as the 57-year-old herself – and the smells of freshly-baked bread emanating from her white and pink kitchen are equally as inviting! The best columnist and mum-of-two (she has Allegra, 33, and Saskia, 30, with ex Michael Kurer) welcomes us into her Gothic pile, where eldest daughter Allegra–a highflying legal eagle turned stay-at-home-mum and now TV baker – is letting us sample some of the delicious ‘challah’, a light, traditional, dairy-free Jewish bread with a twist (that twist today is lemon curd, marzipan and chocolate) that’s made her a star… Vanessa: ‘This Christmas, I’ll celebrate simply being alive…’ Are you looking forward to Christmas? The Jewish festival of Hanukkah and Christmas…

HELLO, DOLLY! Well, Musicals Week is always great fun and this year’s was a blast! I adored dressing up as Dolly Levi for my cameo in the group dance – putting on that frock and wig I felt right at home. Musicals are really my passion. I love that so many former Strictly contestants go on to have a second career in musical theatre – clearly they’re learning from the best! BOY POWER This year, it seems that the male contestants have had the edge on the women. The ones who are left are great. But, I think, this year the men have stronger story lines and bigger battles. People like to see dramatic improvements and I think that’s happened more with the men than the women. SELFIE STARS Every…

SUMPTUOUS STARTERS FLAVOURED SMOKED SALMON Lidl Scottish Gravadlax, £3.49 for 100g (plus 30g sauce) This mouth watering salmon from Lidl comes with a sweet mustard, aniseed and dill dressing. Despite the smoky aroma, the taste is balanced, with gentle heat from cracked peppercorns and a sweet finish. 86/100 TRADITIONAL SMOKED SALMON The Fish Society fishRjumpin’ Smoked Scottish Salmon, £8.90 for 200g (thefishsociety.co.uk) Our panel loved the pale pink blush and glossy shine of this delicately sliced salmon (pictured). We loved its meaty texture, rich, strong smoky flavour and lightly salted freshness. 78/100 MAINS TURKEY CROWN M&S Turkey Breast Crown with Pork, Sage & Onion Stuffing, £30.60-£39.10 for 1.8-2.3kg A gloriously golden bird, wrapped in bacon and well-filled with a pork, sage and onion stuffing. We adored the crisp crunch of…

1 WHO SAYS WHAT? BT, Vodafone and Sky all offer internet packages which come with a speed guarantee. If you don’t get this speed, they could give you compensation as well as extra tech to help fix the issue. Here’s what they’re promising with their guarantee… 2 BT’S STAY FAST GUARANTEE This comes as standard for any customers who renew their contract. You’ll be given a guaranteed speed based on your line. If you don’t reach it, BT will look to either improve your speed remotely or send out an engineer. If, after 30 days, the problem isn’t rectified, you’ll be eligible for £20 compensation. 3 VODAFONE’S ULTIMATE SPEED GUARANTEE This is available on its two fibre broadband packages: Superfast 1, with speeds of up to 38Mbps (megabits per second)…

…her blended family I have one son, and my partner has two – so between us we have boys who are 10, 11 and 12. There is a lot of sport in my house! But Ben is my responsibility and for most of my life it has just been me and him. I am so proud of the young man that he is turning into, he is definitely my finest production ever. Being a mum is the most incredible job you could ever have. …her new jewellery range Maxine Becker contacted me on Instagram and we got chatting. We are both single mums and we got round to talking about how you rely heavily on your girlfriends. I buy a lot of jewellery for them – so we created a…

GET THE LOW-DOWN ON THE FROZEN 2 BALL Simon Cowell rolled out the red carpet for the Together For Short Lives Ball recently. This year’s glittering ball saw the children’s charity partner with Disney UK and take the theme of Disney’s smash hit new movie, Frozen 2. Special guests enjoyed a spectacular night at London’s Underglobe, the stunning space under the Shakespearean Globe Theatre, which was magically transformed into Arendelle’s Autumn Festival, full of Disney joy and togetherness. The ball helps to shine a timely light on the UK’s 49,000 seriously ill children and their families. As patron for Together For Short Lives, Simon hosted the ball alongside his partner Lauren Silverman; and was joined by celebrities including fellow patron Peter Andre, Alesha Dixon, Louise Redknapp, Mel Sykes, Kristina Rihanoff, John Caudwell…

SAGITTARIUS 23 November – 21 December Sagittarians such as American singer, Donny Osmond, and Skyfall star Dame Judi Dench will find that exercising their creativity helps keep stress at bay. This is a great time to find an outlet for your imagination. Artistic projects will bring out the child in you this Christmas. CAPRICORN 22 December – 20 January A disagreement can be resolved, but you will need to be patient to avoid further argument. Be honest about your feelings and encourage others to be open, too. You’ve been working hard, and this hasn’t gone unnoticed. Don’t be surprised if you are offered a promotion or Christmas bonus. AQUARIUS 21 January – 19 February There’s lots going on in your social world. Party invitations are heading your way fast and…

TOP TIP For a relaxed yet glam look, team chunky knits with a smart skirt and boots. TOP TIP An oversized cardi works brilliant with leggings outdoors or teamed wth your favourite PJs indoors! TOP TIP Team a knitted mini dress with matching colour tights to lengthen your legs.…

‘As soon as I saw the trailer for the BBC series Gold Digger, I thought, “Here we go again”. It showed a younger man with an older woman and lots of implication towards, well, you know how it goes – he must want her money, what else? As a result, I nearly didn’t watch it. When I met Mark, he was 26 and I was 48 – and although no one actually said it out loud, I could tell some people were suspicious and, just like in Gold Digger, it was suggested by more than one friend – and my Mark because he knew what people were thinking – that I should get a pre-nuptial agreement. All the way through the six episodes, the viewer is cleverly confused, as is…

Suits you Avoid the office look with a statement shade or material Jump start Go for head-to-toe sparkles with a glittery number. Novelty knit No longer only for Christmas day, team your festive sweater with a stylish skirt. Top trumps Opt for a bold blouse or trousers with a little extra pizzazz!…

DO I BROACH MY BEDROOM ISSUES? I’ve been (mostly!) happily married to my husband for nearly 20 years – but if there’s one thing I’d like to improve, it’s our sex life. It’s very dull and happens once in a blue moon. He has serious health issues including diabetes and a heart murmur – so I feel this is the last thing I should obsess about. Once in a while, we get affectionate but I am tempted to stray. The idea of such little intimacy for the rest of my life is plain depressing, but I feel so guilty for considering an affair. What would you do? Laura, Hull Tell your husband the truth. You miss intimacy. You fancy him. You love him. You adore sex. You haven’t gone off…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT Want the perfect winter hideaway with your family and friends, a romantic couples’ break, or a holiday with the hound? Then head to Dominoes cottage in Stoke Gabriel, where the idyllic film-like cottage will leave you feeling festive. The striking scenery that surrounds this location will leave you in utter awe – particularly in the autumn and winter months. In the evenings, a lit fire combined with a glass of red wine and some Michael Bublé on the sound system will complete any celebration! INSIDER’S GUIDE A walk from the cottage to the riverbank of the gorgeous Saint Gabriel town is the perfect way to start your day – especially if you have dogs along for the trip! Make sure you bring a pair of sturdy walking shoes…

As one half of the presenting double act with the hilariously kooky Claudia Winkleman, Tess Daly (whose real name we recently discovered is Helen) is part of the Strictly furniture. But, it seems, she’s not having the easiest of times with the public… Watching her strutting her Saturday night stuff on Strictly Come Dancing, you might be forgiven for thinking Tess doesn’t have a care in the world. But, behind closed doors, you’d understand if the co-presenter of the BBC juggernaut is fretting over the unkind comments she receives on social media – comments suggesting her presence on the hit show is somewhat less than scintillating. Described as ‘wooden’ in the previous series and now slammed most weeks for everything from her dress sense – ‘B****y awful!’ according to one tweet –…

Q I have very crepey lids – the skin around my eyes is really thin, and my usual make-up I’ve worn for years doesn’t look great. Brenda, Glasgow A DR AAMER SAYS: As we lose collagen, the eyelids and skin around our eyes becomes thinner and more fragile. Up to now, addressing drooping or sagging skin here has meant a scalpel. But a couple of new treatments have been introduced, meaning no cutting or stitches. Plexr uses plasma energy to stimulate the tightening of skin fibres. It works by delivering micro lightening to the skin, creating a series of minute dots and this causes shrinking of the skin. The treatment is suitable for all skin types, takes 15-60 minutes depending on the area, and the results are instant. Topical anaesthetic…

In the past few weeks, Prince Andrew has been dramatically shunned by charities and sponsors, left senior Royals incensed and had his 60th birthday celebration cancelled by his mother, the Queen. But, of course, the ripple effect of Prince Andrew’s spectacular fall from grace has reached his daughters, too – Princesses Beatrice, 31 and Eugenie, 29. Neither will escape the dramatic effect of the controversy their father is embroiled in – which will doubtless have been worsened by the tell-all interview by his accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre (which had not aired at the time best went to press). No longer allowed to represent the Royal Family, Andrew will not be meeting Donald Trump when he arrives for this week’s Nato reception at Buckingham Palace, and has effectively been retired from…

Nothing says ‘It’s Christmas!’ more than putting a wreath on your front door. This year, I thought I’d try to make the most out of my unwanted stash of baubles. It’s a great way to upcycle and give old decorations a new lease of life. Best of all you can create something completely unique! TOP TIP! Your wreath can be as bold as you like! Clashing jewel colours work well. If you don’t have enough old baubles, I picked up a few extra supplies from Paperchase and Tesco. Love Claire xx WHAT YOU NEED A wire wreath frame in the size you want to make A mixture of baubles and ornaments (different shapes and sizes) Cardboard A piece of felt (big enough to cover the back of the wreath) Hot glue gun…

Gareth, 44, lives in London with his wife, Becky and their three children. Tell us about your new album, Music for Healing. What was the inspiration? My grandfather had passed away so I wrote a lot of the album in response to that. I had been having a nagging feeling that I wasn’t playing the piano enough, so I went back to it and started composing. My wife Becky was recovering from having our third child, a daughter, so she would be lying on the sofa while I just played away on the piano, little songs and bits of music that had been in my head for years. She would either fall asleep, which was a good sign that it was relaxing, or she would say, “No, no, that is…