Closer Issue 886

Sadly, January is said to be the Divorce Month – when so many couples call it quits after the season of goodwill is over. Whether you’re starting the decade newly single or have been trying to navigate the mind-boggling world of dating for longer than you’d like, our special mini-mag is just for you. Over ten pages, we advise on the very best ways to meet someone you can connect with, our experts answer your dilemmas, and readers reveal how to stay positive and strong when life has dealt you some challenges. Celebs of all ages tell us about their search for love, and Naked Attraction’s Anna Richardson shares her top ten tips for making the magic happen. Turn to page 63 and let us help you get a little…

‘ SHE KNOWS SHE DOESN’T HAVE TO WAIT FOR A MAN TO ACHIEVE HER DREAM OF MORE KIDS’ She’s revealed her plans to have “at least two more” children using a sperm donor – and insiders tell Closer that Cheryl is already looking into fertility treatment and hopes to complete her family within the next four years. The 36 year old – who has two-year-old son Bear with her ex Liam Payne, 26 – isn’t looking for a new man, but is worried her biological clock is ticking. She revealed in a candid interview last week, “If time was on my side and I was in my twenties, yeah, I would wait and consider more options, or wait for somebody I felt was right... but there is never a guarantee,…

Dr Larisa Corda says, “If you’re thinking about using a sperm donor, you must go to a clinic that’s regulated by the HFEA [Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority] to ensure the sperm is screened for disorders, mutations and infections. A specialist will then assess your circumstances and whether you’re medically fit to be pregnant. Finding a suitable donor can take time, and you need to consider the type of donor – anonymous or someone you know, such as a friend. In the UK, once the child reaches the age of 18, they’re allowed to seek out that information on the donor. The more selective you want to be about your donor, the more expensive it is. And the cost also varies depending on how you use the sperm – intrauterine…

Single mum Laura Corbett, 38, a teaching assistant from Carshalton, Surrey, used donor sperm to conceive her five-year-old twins, Savannah and Darcey, in 2014. She says, “In the early days, being a single mum with twins was a whirlwind – but it was the best decision I’ve ever made and I’m even thinking about doing it again. “Having high-profile women, like Cheryl, considering donor sperm might show other single women that they can do it too, and help get rid of the stigma still attached to it. “I always wanted a family, so I didn’t see why I had to risk not having children because my relationships hadn’t worked out. I was 33, but didn’t want to wait until I was much older because I wanted to have enough energy…

• Royal expert reveals the real reason the Sussexes stepped down • How Harry has secretly wanted to walk away for years • Why baby Archie will be free to choose his own path The world was shocked last week when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they will be stepping down from senior royal duties, instead splitting their time between the UK and North America to give their son Archie an “appreciation of the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with space”, and becoming “financially independent”. Their unprecedented statement on Instagram came just days after the Palace released a photograph of the Queen with the three heirs to the throne – Princes Charles, William and George – suggesting the monarchy are keen to…

She was hailed as a breath of fresh air for the stuffy royal family after Prince Harry announced his engagement to Meghan Markle, a woman of mixed heritage with a passion for charity work and women’s rights. Royal watchers hoped the former Suits actress would help modernise the monarchy, and, at first, her trait for doing things her own way and sticking to what she believed in won over millions of fans. But it took less than six months for the fairy tale to turn into a nightmare. Things began to unravel during the countdown to their wedding, when her now-estranged father Thomas Markle was banned from the nuptials after he staged photos of himself looking at pictures of the royal couple online, and he later gave a series of…