Table of contents for 43 - 2017 in Best

The stars came out in style last week for best’s first-ever Heroes Awards, where we honoured nine of the bravest, most selfless and fearless men in the country. The master of ceremonies, who made sure there wasn’t a dry eye in the house with his moving retelling of each hero’s story, was the inimitable Eamonn Holmes. And our columnist, Tony Cowell, ensured the evening had some razzle-dazzle by bringing guests such as Strictly’s Ola and James Jordan, Vanessa Feltz and Lizzie Cundy. Read all about this emotional night on pages 4, 5 and 19, and in our 14 Nov issue of best. Here’s to our heroes! Please let me know your thoughts, siobhan. wykes@hearst.co.uk…

The clocks are changing soon, so prepare yourself for the change in daylight hours. This can affect your body and mind, as well as your schedule, so it’s no wonder many of us find ourselves dreading the dark! Get yourself prepared and in the know so those longer winter nights aren’t that bad – and you’ll keep smiling till Xmas. GET OUTSIDE Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression where sufferers notice a huge difference in their mood between summer and winter. Symptoms tend to start now, and worsen during December to February. The reason for this is thought to be the lack of sunlight disrupting the levels of hormones produced in the brain. Sufferers of SAD can help themselves by trying to be outside as much as…

Embellish the truth A dress with extra detail can brighten up black. Highneck hero Elongate your body with this elegant style. TAP THE APP With the Simply Be app, you can check product reviews before you buy! To the max A frock with an elasticated waist will show off your curves. Velvet volume Statement sleeves can make arms look slimmer.…

HOW IT WORKS 1 Eating a strict low-fat diet means your body becomes good at burning carbs, but it can have a negative effect on the body’s adipokine levels – the clever hormone complex that’s released from fat cells to speed up the rate at which they’re broken down. Not eating enough fat means less are produced, so you could pile on more weight. 2 By eating the right combo of healthy fats – including eggs, cheese, avocados and even butter and cream – you’ll be helping your body turn down its insulin production, which keeps sugar levels stable. It also triggers ketosis, a chemical reaction that means your body burns fat and protein for fuel, helping to melt away fat stores. 3 Each time fat leaves the cells to…

THOUGHT OF THE DAY Be that special someone’s Sunday, not Saturday night. I don’t have the strength to face the world since I lost my mum... I lost my dear mum, aged 88, last month, and I’m devastated. Though she’d been ill for a while, I wasn’t ready and it has floored me. I have no interest in anything, and I’m aware my husband and kids are really worried about me, but I can’t muster the enthusiasm to try, even for them, which makes me feel even worse. Help, Gloria. Kelly, Lancashire Nothing ever prepares you for losing your loved ones. I remember when I lost my daughter, Caron, I was in such a state, I couldn’t cope with anyone else’s loss – I called it ‘the selfish grief’. But one…

FIGHT FIREWORK FEAR While they’re fun for us, the loud bangs and flashes caused by fireworks can cause misery for our pets. PDSA vet Rebecca Ashman shares her advice on how to keep your pet calm this November… * Build a den in your home for your pet as soon as you can, choosing an area where they feel safe. Dogs often like places such as behind the sofa or under a table – cover it with blankets and line with pillows to muffle sounds. Cats tend to feel safe high up, so try a secured cat bed on a shelf or wardrobe. Don’t force your pet to use the den, but reward them when they do, to build a positive association. * Buy one of the firework sounds CDs…

Shane Richie, 53, has starred as EastEnders stalwart Alfie Moon for over 10 years. Now, he’s gone back to his first love, music. Here, he talks about his new album, his hopes for adopting a child, and why he’d love to return to Albert Square… Even though you trained as an actor, Shane, your first love has always been music, hasn’t it? Music is all I’ve ever known, really. My parents were Irish and I was working in my dad’s clubs when I was eight years old, helping him set up the bands, setting up the stage. I’ve had my own band, on and off, since I was 16, and I’ve always been a singer. I just love music, it’s in my blood. You have a new album out but,…

10 to give away! Whether it’s last-minute bits for Halloween or some cosy candles for the chilly weather, Wilko is packed with bargain buys for every seasonal need! We’re giving 10 lucky winners the chance to bag themselves a Wilko haul with a £50 voucher each, so find out how to enter below. best birthday giveaway HOW TO ENTER POST: Send a postcard with your name, address, phone number and email address to Wilko Giveaway, GVBSTN17698, Hearst Magazines UK, The Data Solutions Centre, Worksop S80 2RT. Closing date for postal entries is 10 November 2017. PHONE: Call 0901 027 2715 by midnight on 7 November 2017. Calls cost 30p per minute, plus your telephone company’s network access charge, and will last no longer than two minutes. Calls from mobiles may…

OVERSTRETCHED HOLLY ‘I can’t do it’ It’s an emotionally challenging job but, lately, it’s not been uncommon to see Holly Willoughby on the verge of tears. In fact, she can meltdown and sob as guests on This Morning share their harrowing stories. And no wonder. We wouldn’t blame the mum-of-three if she’s struggling with an increasingly heavy workload, which – as well as This Morning – includes her interiors business with Dragons’ Den star Peter Jones, set up last February, and filming Celebrity Juice on the side. Holly, 36, also released a new cookbook for babies in September. After previously admitting she is ‘too busy’ to have a social life, it seems her hectic schedule is taking its toll! Mum to Harry, eight, Belle, six, and Chester William, three, Holly…

Imagine rarely leaving your home through fear of being stared at, or mocked, or being terrified of sitting on furniture in case you break it. Or deleting almost every single photo from your honeymoon because you’re so mortified by the way you look. This is something many of the estimated 15 million obese people in the UK have experienced, 40 per cent of whom have been ridiculed by complete strangers. So, what if there was a place where plus-sized people could holiday without feeling selfconscious, all while trying to confront prejudice and overcome their inhibitions? That’s exactly what ITV’s new programme, The 18-30 Stone Holiday, aims to find out. Following the journey of eight overweight Brits, the TV show’s cameras follow them while they travel to a plus-size paradise called…

There are more ways than you think to improve your bust without going under the knife – here’s how... VAMPIRE BREAST LIFT Forget vampire facials, vampire breast lifts are the latest way to improve the look of your bust. Similar to the vampire facial, the treatment involves having blood drawn from the arm, which is then spun in a centrifuge to separate out the platelets. It’s then injected into the breasts to stimulate skin cells and collagen. Two to three treatments a month apart are recommended. It won’t make your boobs bigger, but can decrease wrinkles and improve skin tone, making breasts appear plumper. From £750. BRACIALS – THE BOOB FACIAL With the trend for barely-there tops and cutaway dresses, it’s important you look after your décolletage. The breast and…

‘I miss dancing with Charlotte, but the show must go on’ THOSE QUIT RUMOURS It was quite amusing that people took my comments when Charlotte and I were voted off as some kind of ‘swansong’. I was obviously very emotional that night, but all I said was, ‘I’ve had one of the best years on this show in 15 years!’ And it’s true. As for quitting Strictly next year or not, that’s my decision – one which I’ll come to when I’m ready! I didn’t allude to anything, or say anything one way or another. That’s a decision I make each and every year with my family – we decide what’s best for us. So far, each year, I’ve decided I’m still hungry for it and I want to go…

TAURUS 21 April – 21 May Strange things are happening, and it’s making you wonder whether a friend is keeping info from you. You aren’t finding out about social gatherings until after the event. Someone isn’t passing on invitations. It may be time to walk away from this person. GEMINI 22 May – 21 June Getting involved in a group activity will have romantic repercussions. You and someone you meet through a joint project will get on like a house on fire. An exciting friendship will lead to a giddy romance. Taken? Shared moments will be enriching. CANCER 22 June – 23 July Recently you’ve been spending too much time on your own. One of the best ways to get the most out of the days will be to share…

Leading the Most Haunted team – which includes husband Karl Beattie, 50, – Manchester-born Yvette Fielding, 49, talks to best about hating horror films, her dog’s sixth sense and spooky locations. Why do you think people love Most Haunted? It’s the controversy – you’ll have your doubters, the haters, the lovers, the believers… they’re all shouting at each other, and that keeps it alive. People just love to be scared, don’t they? It’s weird, isn’t it? I can’t stand horror movies! There’s no way I’d watch Most Haunted... and I can’t watch horror films, because they really upset me! But you seem so happy and content in the show when paranormal moments do happen… I know, I’m weird! That’s what I want. I want more than anything to show people…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £ 100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES STRAIGHT CLUES ACROSS 7 Sensitive to touch (8) 9 Doll in glove form (6) 10 Sea-going vessel (4) 11 Of the past (10) 12 Artisan’s talent (5) 14 Commence (5) 15 Fire, dismiss (4) 16 No longer here (4) 17 Male family member (5) 18 Cutting tool (5) 23 Angle-measuring instrument (10) 24 Small rodents (4) 25 Display (6) 26 Defer (8) DOWN 1 More wealthy (6) 2 Jump a rope (4) 3 Opposite of dark (5) 4 Cutlery item (5) 5 Inverted (6,4) 6 Opposite of positive (8) 8 Silence! (4) 13 Conveniences (10) 15 Military guards (8) 19 Head-to-head (6) 20 Entrance rooms (5) 21 Cease (4) 22 Rub out 5 24 Atlas contents (4)…

TOP TIP Dress up this season’s demure styles with some sexy statement heels. TOP TIP Sleek and slinky, the bias cut makes your curves look fabulous. TOP TIP One sure-fire way to always wear a midi with style is to team with some great new-season boots!…

THE WAY I SEE IT... Wise words from our feisty, fearless and funny columnist I don’t go out much any more, and it takes a very special do to drag me away from the telly, but when the invitation from best’s executive editor Siobhan to the Heroes Awards landed in my inbox, I knew I had to prise myself out of my tracksuit and get my glad rags on! This was best’s first awards to the country’s mostdeserving heroes, and the room was packed with famous faces. It was probably the most rewarding and enlightening event I’ve ever attended. Everyone there, from the heroes to the best team and the celebrities who handed over the awards, had a magnificent time. My job was to present the award to the youngest…

JOIN THE CONVERSATION Have you suffered in silence? Recent shocking statistics released by Rape Crisis tell us that one in five women aged 16-59 has experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 16, and that only around 15 per cent of those who experience sexual violence choose to report it to the police. That’s a heartbreaking number of people who are suffering in silence. In light of the allegations against film producer and studio executive Harvey Weinstein, 65, many of the reasons why women may feel unable to come forward have been highlighted. But a new trend has hit social media sites, after US star Alyssa Milano, 44, wrote, ‘If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote, “Me too” as a status, we…

...her X Factor journey It’s been a dream come true so far. It still doesn’t feel real, to be honest. I’m still in a bit of an ‘is this actually happening?’ bubble! Everything’s happened so fast. …the hardest part The Six Chair Challenge. It’s great TV for you guys, but it’s horrible for us! It’s like going to war with your friends, you kind of give up – you’re so numb. It’s only watching moments like that back on screen that you start to take them in. ...her X Factor mentor Nicole Scherzinger She’s been amazing. The one thing she says that’s stuck with me is, ‘Remember to have fun.’ For her, that’s important – if you don’t look like you’re connecting to the song and enjoying the experience, she’s…