Table of contents for 2-2021 in Best

It’s the first week of January and the vaccine is being rolled out (Dr Hilary answers all your questions on that over on page 62). Despite lockdown continuing for many, it is still a brand New Year, filled with new hopes and dreams. Kate Garraway talks movingly on page 9 about her wishes for husband Derek to finally make it home this year. And as we went to press we heard Gemma Collins’ parents were also unwell with Covid, so we wish them a speedy recovery. Denise Welch (pictured above) opens up on page 34 about her mental health struggles and how we Brits have always relied on humour to get through the bad times. Many of you will be giving up the booze this month. I’m not joining you…

It’s no secret that Good Morning Britain’s Kate Garraway, 53, endured a pretty horrific 2020, after her husband, Derek Draper, was admitted to hospital last March with Covid-19 – his battle against the virus is now the longest in the UK. But when asked how Derek’s condition was recently, Kate replied, ‘It’s a roller coaster – I now believe that he knows me. I think he’s in there fighting to get out, fighting to come back. And I’m trying to tell him that he’s got a life to come back to, and to keep that life together, you know…’ On her hopes of seeing Derek with their children (Darcey, 14 and Billy, 11), she added: ‘We’re hoping to form a bubble with him. We are hoping the children will get a…

When TV presenter Anthea Turner puts her mind to something, there’s no stopping her. And now she has a new obsession – rubbish. Well, recycling, to be precise. Confessing to best that last year the pandemic gave her a lot of time to reflect, she realised just how much we consume and what we’re doing to the planet with the ‘stuff’ we think we need, use and chuck away. The 60-year old domestic goddess is now passionate, she says, about going ‘greener’. Here, the star – who hopes to marry her fiancée, businessman Mark Armstrong, later this year after their plans for 2020 were scuppered, gives us some small tips which could make the world of difference… Anthea you’re a woman on a mission, aren’t you?! Yes – we are going to save…

No one could doubt my dogged determination to find love. I’d downloaded dating apps, enrolled in art classes, joined drama clubs and even tried my hand at tantric dancing – don’t ask! Yet six years down the line, I’m still single. Sure, I’ve had plenty of first dates and a few fun flings but none of them were serious suitors. So, when I was told about an interiors therapist who could diagnose what was wrong with my love life simply by looking at my home, I was a tad intrigued. ‘Let me see the artwork on your walls,’ said Suzanne Roynon, on the other end of a Zoom call. As I gave her a video tour of my lounge, she rolled her eyes. ‘Every painting is of a single lady…

Loose Women panellist Denise Welch has often opened up about her struggles with depression in a bid to help those who may also be struggling. This time she is teaming up with Sane to head the Breaking Depression campaign with her husband, Lincoln. The campaign hopes to make people understand the difference between feeling low and mental illness, and how to cope with both. ‘While I’m well, I want to be as uplifting as possible because I’m quite used to self-isolating with anxiety as an illness,’ she explained. ‘I find remaining positive, getting sleep, getting up in the morning is all very important. Make yourself get up. Within minutes, I feel better after a cup of coffee. ‘These are unprecedented times but I think we all need to be honest…

The nurse smiled at me. ‘Would you mind stepping on to the scales?’ she asked kindly. My stomach lurched. I was at a routine appointment and hadn’t expected to be weighed. But since she’d asked, what could I do but kick off my shoes and pray it wouldn’t be that bad? ‘17st 9lbs,’ the nurse read and my cheeks flushed red with shame. A year after giving birth to my gorgeous son, George, I’d known I was still carrying my baby weight – and then some – but, focusing on my newborn, I’d pushed it to the back of my mind. It was only now that the nurse had forced me to confront it, that I realised just how bad my weight had got. When I’d fallen pregnant to my…

They all warned her not to move back home. ‘It’s been 20 years,’ they said. ‘It won’t be the same place. Stay here! Ride it out.’ But dragging her case up the steep hill to her childhood home through the fading January winter light, Ashling realised that her friends (the ones she had left anyway) back in LA were wrong. Her hometown of Drummona hadn’t changed a bit. Mullins the sweet shop was still there, for starters, its window display full of the same giant tubs of colourful sugary, hard sweets that she used to buy obsessively by the quarter as a child. ‘Those sweets are the reason the local dentist is driving round Drummona in one of the flashiest cars in Ireland,’ her mother would say, tutting. A wave…

CAPRICORN 22 December – 20 January Perseverance is the key to success for Capricorns like the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, and veteran rocker Rod Stewart. Stay hopeful. Don’t let doubts or negative thoughts weigh you down and trust that you can be successful in whatever you set your mind to. ARIES 21 March – 20 April A good way to get closer to someone you are attracted to is to get involved in a joint project. Working together towards a mutual goal will strengthen the bond between you. Experimenting with fun ideas and being open to new experiences will teach you some valuable lessons about caring and sharing. CANCER 22 June – 23 July You’ve set your sights on a special goal. All your energy and concentration will be…

IT was the biggest new entertainment show of 2020, and now The Masked Singer is back, with a brand-new panelist. As BAFTA award-winning comedian Mo Gilligan takes up a chair and the challenge of figuring out ‘who’s that behind the mask?’ when a celebrity belts out a tune, hot host Joel Dommett is back, to preside over the unique guessing game that has gripped the nation. Davina McCall, Rita Ora and Jonathan Ross return as judges, and we’re loving this fresh cast of 12 celebs, complete with flamboyant character costumes! We may only be one episode down, but boy, does this brilliantly zany show deliver! ‘It’s absolute madness!’ JOEL DOMMETT How are you enjoying the show so far, Joel? It’s the craziest programme on television. It’s absolute madness. It’s something that you…

At 58, the effervescent Vanessa Feltz is looking better than ever – down to a slinky size 12, and bursting with energy. We caught up with broadcaster Vanessa – our very own agony aunt – to talk diet downfalls and triumphs, and the secret to how she finally found her fabulous… Happy New Year, Vanessa. You are looking fabulous! Well thank you, you’re very kind. As anyone who sees me on This Morning knows, my face has shrunk, my double chins have disappeared, the spare tyre has gone, my bum is quite small now. I don’t quite look like Cheryl Cole, which was what I was aiming for – but I am a lot slimmer. I fact I am a size 12 – maximum – for the first time in…

The outspoken son of stars Katie Price and Peter Andre – Junior, 15 – called his mum a ‘gold-digger’, after the 42-year-old was gifted Louis Vuitton trainers by current boyfriend, former Love Island contestant, Carl Woods. The pair took cheeky Junior on a shopping spree documented on Katie’s YouTube channel, with her reality star beau, 31, splurging big-time on his partner, amid her continued recovery from two broken feet, following an accident during a holiday to Turkey last July. Carl picked up the designer trainers Katie had her eye on during their retail therapy. Speaking to the camera, Junior said: ‘People think Carl is gold-digging on Mum, I think it’s the other way around… I can’t remember the last time Carl let Mum pay for anything!’ Katie, who was declared…

Gritting my teeth against the wind and rain, I dug into the pedals a bit faster and felt a deep sense of satisfaction. It was September 2019 and I was taking part in my first half-Ironman. I was with friends and my boyfriend, Garry, and despite the weather, there was a huge crowd. The atmosphere was electric. Exercise was a massive part of my life. I loved the fresh air and the challenge. I’d spent summer of 2019 preparing. Swimming in the morning, cycling to the office where I worked as a graphic designer, going for a run with colleagues in my lunch break, before cycling home. At weekends, Garry, who’s 40, and I cycled to the Cotswolds or went wild swimming in a lake near my Oxfordshire home. Then,…

BEETROOT ZINGER Beetroot stimulates the liver’s detoxifying function. Serves 2 2-inch knob of ginger4 beetsSoda waterRosemary sprigs to garnish Peel the ginger and juice together with the beets. Pour into a cocktail shaker and mix well – enough to give you a dead arm. Pour over ice into rocks glasses, with a splash of soda water in each, then garnish. CUCUMBER SPRITZ Great for a skin boost. Serves 2 1-2 cucumbersDash of watermelon juice50ml sparkling waterHandful of mint Throw the cucumber into a juicer and pulverise. Stir together with the watermelon juice and sparkling water, then pour into a pair of highball glasses and garnish with mint sprigs. GREEN DAIQUIRI This packs a potassium punch thanks to the banana and spinach. Serves 2 1 banana¼ lime½ cup baby spinach leaves30ml…

As Michael McIntyre announced on TV that I’d won, I felt a complete mix of emotions. I threw my arms in the air – was shocked, elated, tearful and most of all, I felt a sense of relief. I was a contestant on BBC One’s new Saturday night gameshow, The Wheel, which was presented by the talented comedian. I’d answered five questions and, with the help of a celebrity panel, I’d just won a whopping £28,000! It just didn’t seem real. But it meant a nest-egg and a bright future for my lovely daughter, Cherry, who deserved the best… Just minutes after she’d come into the world in June 2011, I held her in my arms and already knew how much I loved her. I’d been born with diastrophic dwarfism,…

Veggie katsu rice bowl Serves 4 Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 25 mins SMARTPOINTS: Green 7 Blue 7 Purple 7 1 tablespoon vegetable oil1 tablespoon lemon juice1½ teaspoons ground turmeric2 aubergines, sliced into3cm-thick rounds20g panko breadcrumbs300ml chilled unsweetened coconut drink1 tablespoon medium curry powder125g shredded kale2 x 250g pouches microwave brown basmati rice and quinoa Fresh coriander sprigs, to serve FOR THE PICKLED SHALLOTS: 2 echalion shallots, thinly sliced into rounds2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar¼ teaspoon caster sugar 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas mark 6. To make the pickled shallots, mix the shallots with the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt in a small bowl, then set aside to pickle, stirring occasionally, while you make the rest of the dish. 2 In a small…

A MUCH-NEEDED SHOT IN THE ARM I turned 61 in December. My dad dropped dead suddenly when he was 64. You do the maths. Those three years have really concentrated my mind. I have a lot to do before I cross that mental timeline barrier and, like a lot of you I’m sure, I don’t think I’ve been living a lot in the year that just passed. I intend to change that ASAP, and a Covid-19 vaccine is my ticket to fly – quite literally. Life is for living, not for hiding. At last, I stand a chance of going places, seeing people, having some sort of life, instead of this existence. I have a renewed hunger, appetite and appreciation for what’s out there because sure as heck I’m more…

BE PREPARED The Meal Prep King Plan John Clarke and Charlotte Deniz Michael Joseph, £20 This promises to help you ‘save time, lose weight, eat the meals you love’ – which can’t be bad! The authors have lost an incredible combined weight of 15st and are now sharing tips on how to achieve weight-loss in a simple, affordable style. 100 Days of Real Food Meal Planner Lisa Leake William Morrow, £15.99 (out 21 Jan) Do you plan to cook from scratch, but find your good intentions falling by the wayside? Well, help is on hand with this easy-to-use planner, which will make preparing healthy family meals a breeze. KICK THOSE CALORIES Twochubbycubs: Fast and Filling – 100 Delicious Slimming Recipes James and Paul Anderson Yellow Kite, £20 The couple, who…

Hosted by TV actress Sheridan Smith, Pooch Perfect sees 10 professional dog stylists battle it out in a series of themed challenges to create epic ‘transfurmations’ of their beloved pet, with one elimination each week, eventually leaving one lucky pooch crowned the winner. Here, mum-of-one Sheridan, 39, chats about her love affair with man’s best friend… Hi, Sheridan! Tell us about your new show. Pooch Perfect is a competition for dog groomers. Each week, there are different challenges with different breeds of dogs and we’ve got two judges looking at their ‘transfurmation’ on a special ‘dogwalk’! I learnt a lot about grooming and there are a lot of tips given out too. It’s very camp, fun and just what we need at such a horrible time. I’ve also got a…

Her frequently hilarious reality show was entitled Diva Forever and boy, was she. But former TOWIE star Gemma Collins has hinted that 2021 could be the year she says ‘sayonara’ to her alter ego – to focus on ‘humanitarian work’. Yes, the larger-than-life 39-year-old has revealed it may well be time to hang up the high maintenance GC – and focus on saving the planet. The star said that lockdown had given her time to reflect on life and what’s important to her, as she approaches her 40th birthday, at the end of the month. Comparing her potential image change to Hollywood star Jennifer Lopez, she explained: ‘I’m ready to hang up the GC – 2021 is all about Gemma Collins… It’s like J-Lo. She didn’t want to be called J-Lo any more, and…

TOP TIP Pick stylish activewear that looks good all day long!…

He spent most of 2020 in Palm Springs with hubby Scott, unable – due to the Coronavirus pandemic – to spend his usual six months of the year in his native UK. but now, showman extraordinaire John Barrowman, 53, couldn’t be happier (rules again allowing!) to be returning to Britain for his second series as a judge on Dancing on Ice, alongside Ashley Banjo and Olympic gold medallist skating duo Torvill and Dean. Sitting on the ‘ice panel’ with mini heaters at his feet couldn’t be further from lounging by the pool at his home in sunny California – but for John, aka Doctor Who’s Captain Jack, there’s nowhere he’d rather be… John, you look great with the silver fox look… Thanks, I’ve rocked this look for about 18 months! There comes a…

Skinny rice pudding with forest fruits Serves 4 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 30 mins Per serving: kcals 172, fat 3g, sat fat 0.5g, carbs 29g About 700ml of soya milk or use semi-skimmed milk (you may need a little more or you may use less)25g golden caster sugar1 vanilla pod, split and seeds removed100g pudding rice Large handful of frozen fruits of the forest, defrosted2tsp golden demerara sugar (optional) Half-fat crème fraîche to serve (optional) 1 Add most of the milk, caster sugar and vanilla seeds to a pan, stir and heat gently, until the sugar dissolves then tip in the pudding rice and stir well. 2 Cook on a steady heat, stirring occasionally and topping up with more milk if needed, continue cooking for about 20-25 mins, or…

Five lucky winners will be able to hunker down in style and stay toasty this winter with the Scandi heated electric underblanket from Dreamland. Creating an atmosphere of warmth, wellbeing and cosiness in your bedroom, Dreamland’s latest IntelliHeat+ technology will monitor and adapt to your body temperature throughout the night. Plus, with its dual controls, there will be no more duvet stealing in the middle of the night. Heating up in as little as five minutes and costing only as little as 1p per night to run, you will love jumping into bed every night. HOW TO ENTER ONLINE: Save money by entering online at hearstmagazines.co.uk/best221 by 22 January 2021. PHONE: Call 0901 027 2709 by midnight on 22 January 2021. Calls cost 30p per minute, plus your telephone company’s…

NEW YEAR, NEW TWEAKS! GO FOR A COMBI Why have one treatment when you can have two or three at once? Combination tweakments are set to be the next big thing, using everything from threads to collagen-stimulating injections, fillers, Botox and laser, sometimes in one session. Combining treatments means you see faster results at a fraction of the downtime. You can potentially achieve a look only possible through an invasive procedure. See a cosmetic doctor for advice. LUNCH HOUR LIFT HIFU is set to be the most wanted no-knife tweakment this year using High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound technology. This one-off non-invasive treatment can tighten your brows, neck and jowls. A small handpiece creates ultrasound pulses that go into the underlying connective tissue, boosting collagen and elastin production. There’s minimal downtime, but…

BARBARA WINDSOR She was landlady of the Queen Vic and a Dame. Alzheimer’s took Barbara Windsor away from us recently, and took her mentally away from her devoted husband, Scott Mitchell, a long time before. Scott and I know how this awful disease ravages the mind, and we both raise funds and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Society. The country just loved Babs and I hope that love will now be turned into a passion for further research. POSTAL WORKERS For many years, there has been little political love for our postal service the Royal Mail and its workers. Posties were withering on the vine. But the pandemic may have changed all of that. A shift to online shopping means that there were 200m more parcels in the postal and courier…

Loose Women your seat and my little antenna star Coleen Nolan was caught out by her fellow panellists about a new romance, just before the chat show broke up for the holidays. The youngest Nolan sister, 55, eventually revealed all after she was pressed by Andrea McLean… ‘Can I just come back to you, Col?’ her fellow panellist asked. ‘I did detect a little twinkle in your eye there, when you were talking about whether a relationship is new, or whether it’s been quite a few years…? ‘You shifted in just pricked up and I thought, “She’s too uncomfortable”.’ Realising she’d revealed more than intended, a rather red-faced Coleen replied: ‘Stop it! I’m not telling you girls anything…’ Then finally she admitted: ‘I have met someone and he’s lovely and…

BUBBLE UP! The Bottle Club has you covered with these party pack cocktails. These cans of rose-coloured fizzy yummyness for you and your bubble are the perfect treat for a night in! A 12-pack is £18.99. See thebottleclub.com PRETTY IN PINK… It might be January, but there’s no need to be blue! With Morrisons’ new Freixenet Rosé (£8) in its stunning signature bottles, go for the pink instead! This refreshing rosé has a subtle perfume and delicate palate of red cherries and strawberries. Cin cin! FIZZTASTIC… Bring the bling home with this elegant gold Cava, just £8.50 from Tesco. Selecting the best varieties of Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-Io, Jaume Serra elaborates this sparkline wine, with the traditional method of second fermentation in the bottle… step up your festivities! WARM UP…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES What is PICTURE B’s real first name? (7) This is your prize answer. Enter by using the numbers at the top of the grid or at hearstmagazines.co.uk/bestcross221 TO ENTER CALL 0900 100 0922 (UK 65ppm)†/1550 787 027 (ROI 97cpm) † ACROSS 1 What is international radio code for the letter ‘V’? (6)4 Slice of bacon (6)7 Australian bird (3)8 A friend in need, is a friend ___, saying (6)9 Salt Lake City is the capital of what US state? (4)10& 19D PICTURE A Who is this? (5,6)11 What is an oologist interested in? (4)13 Taste or stroke with your tongue, eg (4)15& 26A PICTURE B Which country music star is her godmother? (5,6)17 It what month is Father’s…

‘The spectacular castle is steeped in history from dinners to dungeons’ GETTING THERE: Warwick Castle is easily accessible from Junction 15 of the M40 and is a mere 40 minutes from Birmingham and 1 hour 40 minutes from London – or you can get easily jump on a train from London Marylebone and be there, enjoying the lush scenery, in just 86 minutes. STAYING THERE: Nestled next to the River Avon within the Castle grounds, cosy wooden Knight’s Village Lodges, decked with coats of arms and other wonderfully authentic touches inside, are perfect for a short break to Warwick Castle (prices from £59 per person based on a family of four sharing a Woodland Lodge). When the weather warms up, try glamping in one of the luxurious knight’s tent. Evening…