Table of contents for 20 - 2016 in Best

With EastEnders legend Dame Barbara Windsor bowing out of Walford tonight (Tuesday 17 May), the Square will never be the same again. Over the past 22 years, Peggy Mitchell has become one of soap’s great matriarchs. The epitome of an East End landlady, shouting about ‘faaamily’ or calling the punters ‘darlin’’, Peggy became a national treasure who never believed anyone was good enough for her kids, despite sons Grant (Ross Kemp) and Phil (Steve McFadden) being serial thugs who stole each other’s wives, while daughter Sam (Danniella Westbrook) was banged up more than once. We fear for the Mitchells without her at the family helm. However things pan out, we’ll definitely miss her Cockney charm. RIP, Peggy……

‘Book, pasty, hubby, dog, beach’: Dawn’s happy recipe After getting angry over recent photos (which Best declined to publish) in which she looked tired after stepping off a flight from Australia, Dawn is happy again, thanks to our favourite TV couple. Arriving home at the end of April from her three-month Thirty Million Minutes tour, the 58-year-old was snapped at Gatwick Airport after a 24-hour flight looking exhausted. Days later, more photos appeared of a ‘make-up-free’ Dawn, walking her dog and popping out to buy bread. The pictures didn’t go down well with the usually affable comedy queen, who tweeted, ‘A 58-yr-old woman off a long haul flight looks tired? Then same woman walks her dog early next morning makeup free? BULLYING.’ Her reaction brought a swift response from fans…

There’s a certain brand of celebrity who enjoys playing ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ with their image. By day, they look pleasant, professional and, dare we say, not overly exciting. But by night, it’s a WHOLE different story. Going from clean-cut to wild child, these ladies suddenly look like a hell of a lot more fun (er, you should maybe think about locking up your husband/boyfriend/son)… AMANDA HOLDEN Some celebs have the ability to switch between mumsy and racy with ease, but you get the impression with Amanda Holden, 45, that the actress and Britain’s Got Talent judge is in her true comfort zone vamping it up. Her attempts at dressing like your typical innocuous, family-friendly TV presenter can fall seriously flat. She appeared on This Morning last year in a drab…

LEO BANCROFT is perhaps better known for his TV debut, when tens of thousands voted for him to be crowned the nation’s favourite hairdresser on Channel 4’s The Salon. His success has continued since the show, with a presenting slot on ITV’s This Morning, while he also works closely with haircare giant Redken offering his expert advice. Leo explains, ‘Most hair types can benefit from a bit of oomph, and volume can make hair look more youthful!’ Get va-va-voom volume with Leo • You need to apply a good product regime, which should start in the shower with a volumising shampoo. You won’t get all the volume needed with styling products alone. • When blow-drying your hair, the hotter the setting, the better your hair will respond. Take off the…

Sheridan Smith’s talent is beyond doubt – she’s one of the brightest stars of her generation. But her erratic behaviour of late is cause for real concern. Last week, following three no-shows in her West End musical Funny Girl, she’s pulled out of the show for two to four weeks, with producers citing the star’s ‘stress and exhaustion’ during a ‘very difficult time’. Sheridan’s problems on Funny Girl began in March, when she pulled out of a show after revealing that her dad was ‘unwell’ (he had been diagnosed with cancer) and accusing the producers of ‘pressuring’ her to perform, which the production denied. Days later, she sparked concern when she tweeted, ‘I’m going to the lesbian and suicide capital. I’ll either come back with a girlfriend, or not at…

KATE MIDDLETON CLUTCH A box clutch has become Kate’s style staple – the perfect way for her to carry her evening essentials. SHOES Plain black strappy sandals will add a simply glamorous finishing touch to any outfit. EARRINGS Chandelier earrings add a touch of sparkle and sophistication. Instead of diamanté, opt for black jet as a subtle way to shine. TOP AND SKIRT Rather than a dress, the daring Duchess opted for a Temperley London crop top and long skirt. You’d need a regal bank account to go for this exact co-ord, though, as it would set you back a right royal £2,990. DATE NIGHT Clever use of black patterning on a cream dress creates an optical illusion to enhance an hourglass shape. The tapework detailing is a softer way…

THIS WEEK... 1 PAYING CAR HIRE EXCESS Car hire firms WILL try to sell you their excess insurance (to protect you from having to pay the first part of any theft or damage claim) and it WILL be overpriced. In fact, car hire companies’ excess waiver policies are adding almost 50 per cent again onto the original hire cost, according to a new study by icarhireinsurance.com. So look for a standalone excess policy for as little as £2 a day – try comparison site moneymaxim.co.uk. But if you book a hire car more than once a year, you’re usually better off getting an annual excess insurance policy. 2 GETTING YOUR CURRENCY AT THE AIRPORT More than £21 million a year is wasted through poor airport exchange rates and high commission…

After weeks of stand-out performances, standing ovations and misty-eyed judges reaching for that magic button, all this year’s Golden Buzzer acts have been chosen. The lucky five, who sail through to the semi-finals, are: Beau Dermott (Amanda), Jasmine Elcock (Ant & Dec), Boogie Storm (ahem, Simon), Ian & Anne Marshall (David), and 100 Voices of Gospel (Alesha). As for who else will make the final cut, we all know what happens next – Simon and the judges hold up photos of the remaining acts and thrash out between them who should stay or go. Based on past years, 45 acts will make it to the live stages, with nine performing every night. Two will go through each evening, leaving 10 acts fighting for victory in the final. Here’s my informed…

Why is Holly Barton so drawn to her stepdad? I think the last man who was every really nice to Holly was her own dad. He made her feel safe and protected. Since then, she’s had a drug problem and a string of abusive relationships, so she’s very lonely and lost. When Cain (played by Jeff Hordley) shows her a bit of kindness – giving her a job at the garage and protecting her from a dealer – she blurs the lines between a crush and a man trying to be a dad. She really needs to feel loved... Yes. She sees that her mum, Moira (Natalie Robb) is happy with Cain but, instead of looking for her own relationship, she starts to imagine what it would be like to…

Both these sets of clues lead to the same answers, revealing in the shaded squares a film starring Bill Nighy (4,4) WIN £550 STRAIGHT CLUES ACROSS 6 Regular weather pattern (7) 7 Build up large quantities (5) 9 Exchanged for money (4) 10 Accumulating (10) 11 Transmission ratios (5) 12 Places (5) 14 Not wild (4) 16 Gone by (4) 17 Fenland, e.g. (5) 18 Surrender (5) 22 Acceptable (10) 25 Spoken sort of exam (4) 26 Lift up (5) 27 Town roads (7) DOWN 1 Wild, uninhabited area (10) 2 Grasp a ball in the air (5) 3 Hand out playing cards (4) 4 Flower holders (5) 5 Rapid (4) 6 Handy, or shut (5) 8 Vocalists (7) 13 Put into jail (10) 15 Non-professional (7) 19 Puts into holds,…

1 TROUSER TAKEOVER THE WEATHER MIGHT BE HEATING UP, BUT IT DIDN’T MEAN THE FLESH WAS FLASHED at the Cannes Film Festival. Celebrities including Victoria Beckham, 42, Julia Roberts, 48, and Susan Sarandon, 69, proved you don’t need a dress to impress with chic monochrome tailoring, and Susan even opted for a pair of comfy flats. With the A-list giving workwear the official salute, we’ll be going from desk to dance floor – and maybe even the red carpet. It’s official, ladies – the power trouser is back! 2 TUCCI-TUCCI-COO – THE QUINCREDIBLE FAMILY AS EVERY PARENT KNOWS, ONE NEWBORN BABY IS HARD WORK – SO SPARE A THOUGHT FOR KIM AND VAUGHN TUCCI, from Perth, Western Australia. In January, five little bundles of joy joined them and their three…

What should have been a pleasant five-minute chat about an author’s new book turned into a TV grilling recently, as This Morning hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield rounded on writer of controversial new novel Me-ternity. Author Meghann Foye’s fictional story – about a woman who resents her colleagues’ maternity leave breaks and decides to take one for herself, despite not having kids – sent the daytime duo into a frenzy. Linked to a studio in New York for the chat, it was clear from the outset that mumof-three Holly was seething about the writer’s perceived criticism of maternity leave. Even in the introduction, Holly described Meghann as ‘so jealous and frustrated with her colleagues clocking off in maternity leave that she decided she needed a break of her own’.…

For 81-year-old Jean Road, it was the end of 32 years of horrifying limbo. Last week, she was in court to see the man who raped and murdered her 17-year-old daughter, Melanie, in 1984, jailed at last. Christopher Hampton, now 64, had gone on to lead a happy and respectable life for over three decades after he slaughtered the A level student. But, in an incredible twist of fate, the science of DNA finally led to him being arrested. Jean said, ‘I never did think they would find him. He’s not a man, he’s a monster. ‘I always said, if I got hold of him, I would strangle him or stick a knife into him. I feel he should be shut up in a dungeon and just left to rot…

He was as acerbic as ever when we caught up with him recently, but Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood, despite the dapper suit (complete with sparkling lapels), wasn’t quite his usual flamboyant self. ‘It’s dead’, said the 51-yearold when we asked about his love-life with the man he’d just a year ago talked about starting a family with. ‘I’m single’, he elaborated, with a heavy sigh. ‘I haven’t been crying into hankies or anything, that’s just not what I do – but yes, it’s very sad that Damon and I can’t be together.’ Craig was with long-term partner Damon Scott for three years. Sharing a home together in Hampshire, the pair looked like they were in it for the long haul, too. They were even thought to be considering adoption,…

THIS WEEK... ‘It broke my heart – it still does when I think about it’ I was recently asked if you can ever tell how your children will take the news of your divorce. All I can say is this – in my own case, the answer was no. I thought I knew my boys, even though they were only seven (Shane Junior) and four (Jake) at the time. I had known my marriage was in trouble for months, but I tried to save it. Then a newspaper called me and said Shane’s affair was going to be their front page. It forced my hand. Did I want my boys to grow up knowing their dad had cheated and thinking it was OK? That’s not acceptable. I didn’t want to…

PER SERVING Energy 185 cal Saturated fat 1.5g Fat 5. 4g Carbohydrates 28.8g Protein 2.9g Sodium 11mg Sugar 26.5g Fibre 2.4g Instant banana ice-cream with sesame praline This is the perfect way to use up those leftover dark bananas. It’s quick, easy and, once you try it, you’ll want to keep a supply of sliced bananas in the freezer. SERVES 4 • 3tbsp caster sugar • 2tbsp sesame seeds • 3 bananas, peeled, thinly sliced and frozen in a snap lock bag or container • 2tbsp Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) To make the praline, line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the sugar in a small saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of water and heat gently over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat and cook until it turns amber in colour. Add the…

TACT (The Adolescent and Children’s Trust) is the UK’s largest fostering and adoption charity. Everything the charity does is for children in care and on the fringes of care. TACT urgently needs more foster carers from all backgrounds, cultures and religions, whether married, single, or living with a partner, and is particularly interested in hearing from people who are able to care for teenagers and sibling groups. Visit tactcare.org.uk, or call 0330 123 2250. ‘IT’S NOT ALWAYS EASY BUT IT’S ALWAYS REWA RDING’ Carol Sloan, 53, from Huddersfield, has fostered seven children. I saw the importance of foster families when I was at school. A good friend had been placed into care and I remember her telling me how special she felt when one family made the effort to get…

‘Everything in moderation – that’s the key to it for me’ While most women approaching the age of 60 are worrying about middle-age spread and growing curves, I’m definitely not. Although I’m just five months away from the big 6-0, I’m a size 6 with a 24in waist. I’m always getting compliments, and many people – friends and strangers alike – jokingly ask me what my secret is. But there is no secret. It’s not in my genes, and I’m not just lucky. Keeping my figure this trim takes a lot of willpower and even more hard work. I live an active lifestyle and I’m always careful about what I eat. Like most women, I’ve always been conscious of my size. How you look is a big part of the…

What are your first memories of BGT? Everybody remembers Paul Potts. And Susan Boyle’s audition had a ripple effect around the world. But for me, a lover of dance, the year that really stood out was 2009, with Flawless and Diversity. They took street dance to the mainstream. What did you think of Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden before and after joining the show? I loved Simon from the get-go, he was so honest. And I remember thinking how Amanda had all the boys in order. She was basically the boss. I thought, ‘You go, girl.’ My opinion’s only changed in the sense that I didn’t know how funny they are off-camera. In what way are they funny? They’re very witty and they love pranks – the humour between the…

‘Ozzy has everything he wants at home’ Sharon Osbourne has always displayed the patience of a saint when it comes to her husband of 34 years – drink and drugs abuse, infidelity and even violence, she’s weathered them all. But last week, that patience was tested to the max when it was revealed that Ozzy was allegedly having an affair with LA celebrity hairdresser and rock lover Michelle Pugh, 45 (Ozzy and Kelly had both been her clients). Sharon’s been here before, of course. But she is rightly growing tired of ‘living like this’, as she herself put it. TROUBLED TIMES Appearing on US chatshow The Talk last week, clearly still fuming, and sipping from a glass of lemonade in a Beyoncé-style dig at her hubby (Beyoncé’s new album, Lemonade,…

Feisty Carla Connor, the notorious boss of the knicker factory, will be sorely missed when she leaves Corrie next Thursday (26 May). Leicester-born Alison King, 43, who has a daughter with ex-fiancé, sound engineer Adam Huckett, can barely talk about her departure without tearing up. But, after 10 years, she says now is the time to leave... So, Alison, you’re leaving. Why? Because if I don’t, I can’t see myself leaving later! It’s been amazing, but 40-year-olds are ‘hot to trot’ on TV right now, and I want to try other things. Any immediate plans? Daisy Mae [Alison’s daughter, eight] is at school, so just some school runs – probably in my pyjamas! – and a little break. What will you miss most? The cast and crew. They’re my family.…

THIS WEEK... FACING REALITY THROUGH A CHILD’S EYES TALKING POINT Ruth: A new way of looking at an existing problem has certainly got us thinking again. To highlight the devastating impact that the refugee crisis is having on children, Save The Children has launched a video destined to go viral. Eamonn: What it does is put us in a position where we could actually imagine this happening to us and our own children. That’s because, instead of the war going on in a far-off land, it happens on the streets of London. It’s all hypothetical, of course, but it serves to highlight the terrifying reality for thousands of children fleeing conflict, as seen through a child’s eyes. Ruth: Let’s not forget that – risking their lives in overcrowded boats, frightened…

If you found out your husband had cheated on you, you’d probably hate him – and his mistress. But, although I cut my straying man out of my life, amazingly, I’ve become friends with ‘the other woman’ he was sleeping with. When I first met Harry Park, online, in January 2013, I wasn’t looking for anything serious. I’d been married twice before, and had only signed up to the dating website for a laugh with my 22-yearold daughter Sky. But I was intrigued by Harry’s cheeky smile, and after a week of messaging, I agreed to meet him. Sparks flew as the conversation flowed easily. We both spent our spare time volunteering and he had a grown-up daughter, too. We quickly became a couple and Harry, now 49, was charming…