Table of contents for 5-2019 in Best

It’s almost the end of Dry January and alongside 4.2 million Brits, I’ve nearly made it! I’m about 4lb lighter and quite a few £££s better off financially – and I couldn’t be more pleased with myself. Since starting, I’ve had to listen to a constant stream of, ‘When is this over? Have a wine!’ Well, I will, on 1 February, but I’m already planning my next extended leave of absence from alcohol for Lent, if any readers want to join me. Think you couldn’t last? Before 1 January, my poor liver hadn’t had more than a day off in years, so yes, you can. Let’s make 2019 the year we ALL get healthier and happier. Moving on, don’t miss our 12 February mag if you’re single. We have a…

After Ant McPartlin bared his soul in a newspaper interview to mark his return to TV, it would be a hard heart that didn’t go out to his ex-wife Lisa Armstrong, who must have found some of his words hard to take. How must Lisa, who was with Ant for more than 20 years and married for 11, have felt to read her ex-husband gushing about his new love Anne-Marie Corbett, claiming she ‘saved him’ and that he was in ‘the best place I’ve been in my life’? It must have been like a knife to the heart, especially as Anne-Marie, who worked for the couple as a PA, used to be a friend of Lisa’s. Also, in the interview, Ant – who shared the Best TV Presenter award with…

By hubby Mark Wright’s own account, Los Angeles has become a second home to actress Michelle Keegan, as she flies out to see him there every three weeks. And, as the couple were reunited at the National Television Awards in London, it appears the glitz of the movie capital has rubbed off on the former Corrie star. As Michelle, 31, stepped out on the red carpet, fans did a double take. Gone was the tomboyish Our Girl star, and in her place was a Kardashian lookalike – heavy eyebrows, fuller lips, poker-straight, glossy hair and a white puffball dress that showed off her tan. While proud Mark, 32, beamed by her side, not all were impressed. One newspaper even put her on its worst-dressed list. In fact, the outfit could…

With DANCING ON ICE’S JAMES ‘The faster I go, the surer I am that I’ll fall or, worse, drop Alex! LADS’ ANTICS IN THE DRESSING ROOM Our dressing rooms are quite small, and us lads can get a bit bored on our own. So, a little group of us – me, Wes, Ryan and Brian – inevitably end up squashing into one room to talk rubbish and listen to music. The poor crew are always running about wondering which room we’ll be in! ICE TO SUN Ola and I filmed C4’s Celebrity Coach Trip last summer, and it’s only being broadcast at the moment – it’s quite odd to be freezing on an ice rink most days and watching ourselves on TV playing games in the sun! It was great,…

What’s your motivation to lose weight?’ my counsellor asked me kindly. My eyes filled with tears. Because, while everyone else was aiming to fit into a wedding dress, or feel good in the summer, the reason I wanted to shed my excess stones was a matter of life or death. Literally. ‘I want to be here when my little boy grows up,’ I said, willing myself not to cry. ‘And I don’t think I will be if I stay this size.’ As I said these words, I felt my resolve harden. I had to do this. Not for me, but for Zachary. Before I’d become a mum, I’d never had a problem with my weight. Yes, I’d yo-yoed between a size 12 and 16 but, at 5ft 8in, I was…

‘Betrayal hits you like a punch in the face’ Reality TV star Vicky Pattison’s painful split with her fiancé has inspired a new documentary Former 2015 I’m A Celeb winner Vicky Pattison was due to marry her fiancé, John Noble, when news of their sudden split came in November last year – after photos emerged of him kissing another woman while on holiday in Dubai. Now, she has opened up about the breakdown of her relationship in a moving new TV documentary called The Break Up. Vicky, 31, tells best the real reason why she felt she had to make such a highly emotional reality TV show. The Break Up is very moving and sad, was it hard to make? It took a lot out of me emotionally, but making it came as a welcome…

Holding my two-year-old Nora’s hand, I looked left and right before stepping out on to the road. But, rather than crossing with me, my little girl held back. ‘Be careful with Esme, Daddy,’ Nora piped up, looking back at my husband Matt and her big sister. My heart tugged. Only a child herself, Nora was looking out for her big sister. And for a very good reason. Esme was almost three when Nora was born in November 2013. She’d loved being a big sister, always wanting to help me feed and bath the baby. But in June 2016, Esme became ill and the girls swapped roles. Esme started suffering with swollen glands in her face and neck and, despite having never had a day off school before, she was too…

Knit pick Look cosy and stylish in cable knit. Print perfect A pattern draws attention downwards. Silky satin A sleek style you can dress up or down. TAP THE APP Take pics of your wardrobe in the My Closet app to help categorise and edit your things.…

THE HAPPY PET GUIDE! Socialising a puppy or kitten when they are young will mean they become confident adults We all know that owning a new animal is great fun and incredibly rewarding. However, early experiences can help to shape their character for the rest of their lives. Follow these tips from PDSA pet experts to safely share life with your new four-legged friend… ★ Introduce your animal to a variety of friendly pets, such as healthy, well-socialised, vaccinated pets belonging to your family or friends. It’s also a good idea to let them meet children or young people, but make sure this is always under supervision. ★ Separation anxiety can become an issue over time. Gradually get your new arrival used to being left alone for increasing lengths of…

Congrats on your new job as host of Question Time! Thank you! I was expecting people to say ‘Who the hell is that? Why have they got her?’I have a slight feeling of tin hats at the ready. But not everyone is going to like you. You have to just try and be yourself. Would you ever do a reality TV show? Well, I did The Two Of Us, where the deal was to get together with a singer who was keen to make a bit of a comeback. I was with Alexander O’Neal. As soon as I said yes, I thought, ‘Oh no, I don’t want to do it. I am going to make a complete arse of myself’. By any stretch of the imagination, I was terrible. It…

When former This Morning host Fern Britton asked, ‘How the hell did I get here?’, it might have sounded like she was in the middle of some kind of mid-life crisis. But no, the 61-year-old bestselling author was merely reflecting on how on earth she ended up in a musical about a group of middle-aged women getting their kit off. ‘Every night, I stand there thinking, “How the hell did I get here?”’ she said of starring in Calendar Girls: The Musical. ‘But it’s wonderful. I fall into things all the time. My entire life has been spent falling in and out of stuff.’ In a recent interview, the mother-of-four confessed that, when her agent asked if she’d be up for a nine-month UK tour of the musical by Take That’s Gary…

TOP TIP This classic shirt dress would also work layered over tight jeans. TOP TIP Layer a tight-fitting polo under a classic wrap dress to feel cosy while still looking classy. TOP TIP If your wardrobe is full of neutrals, add a burst of colour with a bold accessory.…

5 vouchers to give away January has us all feeling a little thrifty, so why not take a chance on an opportunity to really treat yourself? We’ve got five gift cards from Next, each worth £100, up for grabs. So whether you want to spruce up your home or add some style to your wardrobe, find out how below… HOW TO ENTER POST: Send a postcard with your name, address and contact telephone number to Best/Next voucher giveaway, GVBSTN19015, Hearst Magazines UK, The Data Solutions Centre, Worksop S80 2RT by 15 February 2019. PHONE: Call 09010 272727 by midnight on 12 February 2019. 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 cost significantly more.…

Fitness guru to Hollywood’s rich and famous, Angie’s a trained nutritionist and gym owner. She also looks sensational for 66! HOW TO PUT A SPRING IN YOUR STEP, EVEN WHEN IT’S SNOWING… As soon as you wake up in the morning have a good stretch and say ‘I feel good’. If you can think it, you can feel it. A positive mindset opens the doors to achieve your goals. I use a journal. Organising my routine not only helps me achieve my day-to-day goals but my mid and long-term goals as well. Planning and achieving are a sunny positive. For researchers, the race is on to discover what keeps our brains young and happy. In fact, science has now decided we have two brains, one in our head and one…

TOP TIP Apply a thick layer of cream and put on cotton gloves before bed for very soft hands in the morning.…

HOW IT WORKS There’s a few reasons why soup is erm, hot, this year. Firstly, it’s part of a move away from complicated Instagram-friendly dishes. Trendsters say we’re going back to basic cooking and comfort foods – a big bowl of soup fits the bill perfectly. Soup is also a great option for those including more veggie and vegan dishes in their diet. The fibre content of soup is what makes it a great slimming food. Fibre fills you up, so when eating soup you get heaps of nutrients in a bowl for just a few hundred calories – and feel full. Our seven-day soup plan gives you lots of ideas for adding soup to your day. If you don’t like the type of soup we’ve suggested, feel free to…

Gloria Hunniford is a mum of three and grandmother of 10. She’s been divorced, remarried and learned to deal with the loss of her daughter and, on Rip Off Britain, she battles consumer issues. In her own words, she’s ‘lived a lot’. So, ask Gloria anything… My son’s career fills me with fear… Having your only child in the police force, fills me with such pride, but also fear. I worry myself sick about my 24-year-old son being thrown into violent situations. It’s the night shifts that get to me the most. He’s now been transferred to central London, and I’ve been losing sleep over it. Will I ever be OK with this? Nicolette, Barnet I hear you. As a parent, we want to protect our children, no matter what age…

…the fifth season of Grace and Frankie I’m having so much fun, it’s hard to call it work. I love Lily Tomlin. I go to work every day with a genius. Also, I love having a regular job at 81! I keep pinching myself. We have a fabulous crew: a lot of women, a lot of people of colour, and the writers are wonderful. …making classic Western Cat Ballou Lee Marvin was fantastic, but he was extremely drunk all the time. My tooth got knocked out on set, and they just shot me from the side. The movie was so low budget, they only took a second shot if the camera broke. How did my tooth get knocked out? Well I’d had a few drinks, there was a glass door…

BUST YOUR CRAVINGS No, you don’t have to give up sugary treats for good, but this technique uses your imagination to cancel out your cravings. Then you’re free to choose if you want to eat that biscuit or not. 1. First, think of that sugary food or drink you feel out of control around. It could be a chocolate digestive at elevenses, a cola with your lunch or a chocolate bar when you’re watching TV in the evening. Then rate your craving for it on a scale of one (I can take it or leave it) to 10 (Hand me that bar of chocolate right now!). 2. Now, think of a food that absolutely revolts you. Not just one you don’t like, but something that makes you feel nauseous. 3.…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT Renowned for its all-year-round sunshine, Orlando is also the best place to go if you’re looking for fun! Known as the theme park capital of the world, Orlando draws millions of visitors every year. Thrill-seekers can experience the world’s tallest river rapid, Infinity Falls at Seaworld, the exhilarating water slide Ray Rush at Aquatica or, if you’re feeling really brave, take a ride on Falcon’s Fury at Busch Gardens – it’s north America’s tallest free-standing drop tower and it’s not for the faint hearted. You could also try out Mako at SeaWorld – a hypercoaster that will definitely leave you in a spin! INSIDER’S GUIDE It’s worth hiring a car if you plan on exploring further afield. Away from the heart-stopping rollercoasters, you can swim with dolphins, snorkel…