Indice dei contenuti per 11-2021 in Best

The death of Coronation Street actor Johnny Briggs, at the age of 85, will have stopped many of us in our tracks. As Mike Baldwin – or the Casanova of the Cobbles – he spent 30 years on the box and in our living rooms… His gripping love triangle with Deirdre Barlow and her hubby Ken (not to mention the odd dodgy deal down the knicker factory), gripped the nation and was responsible for some of the highest ever viewing figures. Soap stars become so familiar to us… it can feel like we have lost a friend. They’ll be raising a pint in the Rovers, Johnny……

Coleen Nolan has opened up about a shocking moment in her career – hearing the cutting words no woman ever wants to hear: ‘You’re too big!’ It’s no secret that the bubbly 55-year-old’s weight has yo-yoed over the years (in 2008, she dropped dramatically from a size 20 to a size 10, shedding 4st in nine months). But the Loose Women star has revealed she was once told by cruel TV bosses that she’d need a ‘gastric band’ if she wanted a successful career on the box – as she was ‘too big’ to present prime-time television. Mum-of-three Coleen confessed that she was also warned that due to her age an evening show on prime-time TV would be highly unlikely. I have had the head of a big TV company…

Sitting in front of a beautiful old typewriter, I flexed my fingers and pondered what to write. It was the year 2000 and I’d picked up a typewriter in a charity shop. Although my fingers wanted to dance across the keys, I didn’t have anything to say. I didn’t have any words, so I pressed a key at random. Then another. As the keys clunked and levers swung upwards, striking the paper and moving the carriage across until it made a familiar ‘ding’ sound, I smiled. It didn’t matter to me that I wasn’t making any sense. I loved the distinctive, instantly recognisable typewriter font and the joy of playing around. There was great freedom in pressing the keys in any order. And as I did, page after page, the…

American actress Alice Evans shared a heartbreaking post on Instagram recently – revealing that she was taken unawares by husband Ioan Gruffudd’s decision to reportedly file for divorce without telling her. The star, 49, who has been married to Welsh heartthrob Ioan, 47, since 2007, after meeting seven years earlier on the set of Disney’s 102 Dalmatians, posted a screenshot of an article talking about the supposed end of their marriage, writing below it: ‘Oh. OK. Thanks for letting me know. I guess?’ followed by a tearful emoji. Oh, dear. Alice – who shares daughters Ella, 11, and Elsie, seven, with her estranged husband – then responded to supporters in the comments section, giving further insight into her heartbreak. ‘Is there any need for him to be so cruel?’ one…

As fans will know, anything can happen on an episode of This Morning – and Holly Willoughby had an extraordinary day at work recently – interviewing vicar Jason Bray. The 51-year-old Anglican vicar, who dubs himself the ‘ghostbuster vicar’, explained via videolink, that his first ghostly encounter – which inspired him to become a deliverance minister, exorcising ghosts from haunted buildings – came soon after he was ordained. He had just moved into a new home with wife, Laura, and their son, Tom, a baby at the time. One night, the couple noticed the air around Tom’s crib was as cold as a freezer, prompting them to take the tot into bed with them. A few days later, during a trip to the loo in the middle of the night,…

I’d already had a huge portion of macaroni cheese for dinner, but that didn’t stop me scraping the dish. ‘No point wasting it,’ I thought. Then, I remembered there was some cake in the fridge… Munching my way through a huge slice, I could feel the waistband of my leggings cutting into my tubby tummy. It was only later that I gazed miserably at the empty plate. When would I find the willpower to lose weight? Before I had children, I took my size for granted. At 4ft 10in, I was 7st 7lbs and a size 8 when I married my husband, Jim, in 1989 and even after my first daughter, Rosie, was born the following year, I was back to that weight very quickly. But when I went on…

POST GALLBLADDER SURGERY I am having surgery next month to remove my gallbladder. I was wondering whether, when I am home – hopefully recovering – I should follow any special sort of diet, and whether there is any food in particular that I should cut out? Heather, Gateshead DR HILARY SAYS: Some people experience loose watery motions for a few weeks after gallbladder surgery. This is because bile from the liver is entering the bowel all the time rather than just after meals and acts as a laxative. If this happens, decrease the amount of fat – which can cause wind, bloating and discomfort – in your diet. Avoid fried, greasy foods and sauces, and increase the amount of soluble fibre in the form of oats or barley. I suggest…

MRS BROWN’S BOYS D’MOVIE Thursday, BBC Two, 11.30pm Facing car chases, ninjas and musical numbers, Mrs Brown battles to retain her Dublin market stall in the face of an unscrupulous developer and Russian thugs. The fight is on for Mrs Brown’s ‘good reputation’ – shame she lost that a long time ago! ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE MOVIE BBC iPlayer When chain-smoking, Champagne-swigging socialites Edina and Patsy (Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders) are accused of killing supermodel Kate Moss, they escape to France. It’s absolutely fabulous! DEADPOOL Friday, E4, 9pm Part of the hugely successful X-Men franchise, this 2016 superhero flick, based on the Marvel comics of the same name is funny, entertaining, high-octane and full of eye candy in the form of Ryan Reynolds. That’s a win-win, in our book!…

PISCES 20 February – 20 March Pisceans such as The Italian Job actor Michael Caine, and former Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria, have a certain knack for making long-term plans that will pay off well into the future. They will inspire a lot of trust through discussing new ideas – it pays to listen. GEMINI 22 May – 21 June A new hobby is not giving you the satisfaction or enjoyment you expected to get out of it. The only difference it seems to make is on your bank balance because it is proving to be very expensive. Think back to activities you used to enjoy. It isn’t too late to develop skills pushed aside when other things got in the way. VIRGO 24 August – 23 September Even if…

Use the anagrams, straight, cryptic, quiz and picture clues to solve the crossword. When completed correctly, the pink squares, reading top to bottom, left to right, will reveal the answer to the question below: What is PICTURE A’s real first name? (5). This is your prize answer. Enter by using the numbers at the top of the grid or at hearstmagazines.co.uk/bestcross1121 ACROSS 1 & 4A PICTURE A Who is this? (6,6) 4 See 1A 7 & 26A & 27A Who are Morticia, Gomez, Wednesday and Pugsley collectively? (3,6,6) 8 ANAGRAM INNTOO 9 It’s as ___ as A, B, C, expression (4) 10 Electronic post? (5) 11 ANAGRAM GEED 13 Express tiredness (4) 15 What kind of fish can be basking, tiger or hammerhead, eg? (5) 17 Florence Nightingale was also…

1 A ‘RUFF’ DAY? When Gok Wan posted this picture of his dog, Dolly Dishcloth, we couldn’t help but recognise the wistful expression – that’s us, at this very moment, gazing out of the window, waiting for lockdown to be over. The 46-year-old fabulous fashionista captioned the picture, ‘I just love her so much.’ And it’s no wonder – what a cutie! Don’t worry, Dolly, the end is in sight now! 2 Who wowed the crowd? The 78th Golden Globes took place at the end of last month – albeit in a socially distanced manner – and the A-listers embraced the occasion. Salma Hayek, 54, looked stunning in a red Alexander McQueen gown, while Jamie Lee Curtis, 62, shone in a low-cut Alex Perry number. While Isla Fisher, 45, sizzled…

‘Do you like it, Mummy?’ my five-year-old daughter said, brandishing an A4 piece of paper adorned with multicoloured hearts and the words ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ in sweet, scrawled writing. ‘I love it, Yasmin,’ I beamed, planting a big kiss on her soft cheek. ‘You’re the best mummy EVER!’ she screamed, diving on me, knocking my toast butter side-down on the duvet. As she promptly exited the bedroom to resume watching Moana, I grabbed my phone to make a very important call. I too needed to share my love and gratitude with the incredible person who raised me. ‘Happy Mother’s Day, Papa!’ I cried, when my dad Hameed answered. My pop chuckled. ‘Every year you say that, Zee. I’m Papa, not Mama!’ But, actually, my dad is kind of both. Since…

While it might not be possible to have the exact same body you had at the age of 25, there are ingredients and techniques that help you enhance your fabulous figure… 1 ADD MORE MOISTURE Just as you should apply a facial oil for a real skin-plumping treat at bedtime, do the same for your body – apply oil such as Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Skin Therapy Oil, £10.49, after a bath, then follow with a body lotion like Indeed Labs 10 Balm Body Lotion, £24.99. 2 SCRUB UP! When the central heating is on and we’re wearing many layers, our skin’s renewal processes slow down, leaving it flaky and dull. ‘Exfoliating is key,’ says skin expert Fiona Brackenbury. It makes your skin look brighter by banishing a build-up of dead…

Chocolate stout cakes The addition of stout to this chocolate cake brings a wonderfully rich depth of flavour, as well as keeping them beautifully light and moist. Hands-on time: 20min, plus cooling Cooking time: About 25min Makes 12 125g unsalted butter125ml stout, we used Guinness60g cocoa powder225g light brown sugar2 large eggs, beaten75g full-fat natural yogurt2tsp vanilla extract150g self-raising flour1tsp bicarbonate of soda FOR THE ICING 125g unsalted butter, softened250g icing sugar, sifted1tsp vanilla extract200g Philadelphia cream cheese 1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/mark 4. Line a muffin tin with 12 cases (dark brown ones are ideal). In a large pan, gently heat the butter and stout until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar. Set aside to cool slightly.…

BRING THE BUBBLES! Well, to her doorstep anyway! If mum is partial to fruity alcoholic fizz, you can’t go wrong with the Freixenet Cordón Rosado Cava – a light, soft Cava, chosen for its special aromatic characteristics. It’s a pretty colour too! Currently on special offer in Tesco at £8. MOONPIG FOR MUM? Whether you make it personal, funny or loving – you can’t go wrong with a Moonpig this Mother’s Day, especially if you can’t see mum this year. A cute card could be just what the doctor ordered. See moonpig.com PARTY BY POST… Yes, you can go for the traditional bunch of flowers – or you can opt for a more unique way of showing the fabulous women in your life you care, with balloons from Party Delights.…

WHAT IS NIACINAMIDE? Niacinamide is a water-soluble form of vitamin B3 that naturally occurs in meat, fish and grains. It’s an all-round skin care superstar. WHAT DOES IT DO? From boosting hydration to fading hyper-pigmentation, there’s not much niacinamide can’t do. With potent antioxidants, it possesses a remarkable ability to multi-task. It protects skin from environmental damage, boosts collagen synthesis, improves hydration, reduces signs of ageing, diminishes enlarged pores, and fades skin discolouration. It is also an antibacterial, which helps regulate sebum production and control blemishes. Impressed? WHO CAN USE IT? The great thing about niacinamide, unlike some other skin care ingredients, is any skin type and age can benefit from using it. You can use it as often as you like and it’s safe to use all over (including…

TOP TIP! Spray on to roots before bed to soak up any oil production while you sleep.…

HOW IT WORKS 1 Constantly piling on the pounds then losing them again makes our muscles waste and the less muscle you have, the slower the rate you burn calories when you’re at rest, making it hard for yo-yo dieters to keep weight off. 2 Drastic weight loss and serial dieting also affects the immune system: those who lost weight more than five times had a third lower amount of the body’s disease-beating cells than those at a normal weight. 3 We should have no more than one teaspoon of sugar in our blood stream at any one time. Consuming highly refined carbohydrates (like sugary drinks, white bread, cakes, ice cream and chocolate) causes the body to release large amounts of the fat storage hormone insulin, which results in any…

HOLIDAY FROM HELL Now lockdown is slowly coming to an end, my partner has suggested splashing out on a Summer holiday for us all (it’s second-time around for both of us, and we have five teens between us!). The problem is his 16-year-old daughter. Not only is she rude and princessy, but she is always on some fad diet and rolls her eyes when anyone else drinks alcohol or eats meat, and is generally a pain in the bum! What can I do? My partner just laughs and thinks she’s funny but she drives me up the wall. I’d rather not go away at all than go away with her! Grace, Aberdeen You can cut her some slack, I reckon. She’s only 16, after all. Summon up some understanding. Imagine…

MOST DRAMATIC MOMENT My pal Yebin Mok’s injury with Graham Bell had to be the most dramatic moment this series! They both tripped and Graham’s blade ended up slicing Yebin in the shin – she needed stitches and was off the ice for four weeks. Seeing a fellow pro get carried off the rink on a stretcher is… pretty scary. BIGGEST FLIRT Jason Donovan is my pick for biggest flirt. Not that he flirted with anyone – but I think I wanted him to! Getting to work closely with him and his pro, Alexandra, I can tell you, he’s one of the nicest humans in showbiz. If I didn’t have a man crush on him before, I certainly do now! He showed that at any age you can learn a…

McDonald & Dodds, the crime-drama starring two ill-suited detectives, is back with three brand-new murder mysteries. Cold Feet star Tala Gouveia and BAFTA award-winning actor Jason Watkins reprise their roles as the smart and ambitious DCI McDonald and the humble, quietly brilliant DS Dodds respectively. This series, they’re joined by guest cast members Rob Brydon (Gavin & Stacey), Rupert Graves (Sherlock), Patsy Kensit (Absolute Beginners) and the one and only Martin Kemp – who tells us more… What attracted you to this role? When I first read McDonald & Dodds, it reminded me of an episode of Miss Marple I did, which I had so much fun on. Then, when I found out who else was in this episode, that was it. Patsy Kensit is an old friend of mine…

Nadia Sawalha and Kaye Adams have been friends for over 20 years – but the pandemic has kept them largely apart. So, when Nadia, 56, and Kaye, 58, were asked to flat-share in Manchester last September, for reality show The Celebrity Circle, hosted by Emma Willis, they jumped at the chance. Joining famous faces like Denise van Outen, Lady Leshurr and Pete Wicks, each pair moves into an apartment block and compete, communicating solely via texts and emojis, for the title of most popular player. Here, the Loose Women presenters talk about how they got on – and their ‘unconditional love’ for each other (arguments and all!)… How was The Celebrity Circle experience, you two? N: Intense. Pure, unadulterated escapism… To come off the back of 2020, when we haven’t seen…