Table of contents for 24-2019 in Best

It’s no wonder, with reports that the Beckhams’ eldest boy, Brooklyn, has an increasingly ‘toxic’ relationship with his model girlfriend, Hana Cross, that his mum, Victoria, is ‘worried’. When Hana, 22, allegedly lashed out at budding photographer Brooklyn, 20, at the Cannes Film Festival, his famous parents, David and Victoria, were alarmed – after security separated the couple. When pictures of the ‘spat’ were posted online, one fan commented, ‘If it’s like this in public, imagine what it’s like when no one else is around. Time to call it quits, plenty more fish in the sea. Drama isn’t a measure of how much you love each other. It’s toxic!’ If rumours are to be believed, however, this was just the latest in a series of embarrassing heated arguments between the…

Amanda Holden had no sooner finished her latest stint as judge on Britain’s Got Talent (in those jaw-dropping dresses!) than she was taking up a new spot as Jamie Theakston’s sidekick on Heart Breakfast, for which she gets £3m over two years – swiftly becoming Britain’s highest-paid female radio presenter. ‘Jamie and I go back more years than I can remember, so I have no doubt that working with him will be hilarious for everyone,’ she said of her new gig. ‘I’m not sure my face is ready for the early starts mind you, but I hope we can make the listeners laugh each morning!’ Say what you might about the blonde bombshell, 48 – who famously incurred the wrath of the British public in 2000, when she cheated on her…

Dress up Belts and button detailing are a great way to flatter your figure. Lady in lace Embrace the pastel trend without opting for pink. Max it out Keep cool and covered up in longer lengths. Suits you Refresh your work wardrobe with a trousers suit.…

HOW IT WORKS The perfect salad is low in calories, packed with nutrients, high in protein and has a little bit of fat. The problem is most of us don’t make our salads like that – we add a bit of limp iceberg, chuck in sliced tomatoes and cucumber, then cover it in dressing to make it taste of something. No wonder we find them dull and are hungry half an hour later. Our plan changes this. You eat a normal breakfast and then two salad meals a day, which both follow a set plan – see below. • A base of unlimited green veggies, such as lettuce, rocket, spinach, courgette or cucumber. • A second layer of 1-2tbsp coloured veggies, such as carrot, tomato, beetroot, corn or chopped fruit,…

PARTY PROBLEMS! I’ve been married to my husband for many years, but my family still refuse to accept him and continue to give him a hard time. He’s very confident and not afraid to show it, but they take this as arrogance and think he’s looking down on them. Fine – I’m over it. But still, I dread big family occasions, and with my birthday coming up (the big 6-0), there’s no way I’ll get through it without having them all in the same room as each other. I just want to enjoy my day and look back on it with happy memories, rather than play peacemaker. Should I lay my cards on the table with the whole lot of them? Angela, Liverpool For goodness’ sake, woman, you’re about to…

TOP TIP Beige doesn’t have to be bland! The key is to mix textures together and add a subtle splash of colour.…

Jim Carter, 70, plays butler Mr Carson in ITV’s Downton Abbey. He is married to actress Imelda Staunton and they have one daughter, Bessie, also an actor. Are you looking forward to hosting Downton Abbey Live? Very much! It’s going to be held on the lawn at Highclere Castle. I shall be hosting the evening as Carson. It’s as if Lord Grantham had asked me to reminisce about my time at Downton Abbey! We go back through all the events – the war, lives lost and love gained. I pick bits from the whole six seasons of the show and they are played out on the big screen, with music by the wonderful Chamber Orchestra of London. Why do you think people love watching Downton so much? It represents a…

VENUS WILLIAMS IS A GEMINI 22 May – 21 June Relaxing and having fun with friends who make you laugh will remind you there is more to life than work and sacrifice. Make more time in your life for activities that keep stress at bay. VIRGO 24 August – 23 September You’re longing for an adventure and the prospect of travelling to an exotic country fills you with excitement. If you haven’t yet booked a holiday, stop putting it off – do it now. You could find some great online bargains and before you know it, a travel dream will become a reality. SAGITTARIUS 23 November – 21 December Achieving a balance between work and play is important for an active person like you. The outlook is promising for both…

It’s over a year since Harry and Meghan said, ‘I do’, and with baby Archie, they are now a family of three. But the rumours that all is not ‘happy families’ when it comes to their relationship with Harry’s brother, William, and his wife, Kate, continue to swirl. They just will not go away, fuelled most recently by the couples’ rival social media accounts. In addition, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly set to leave the two couples’ joint charity, the Royal Foundation – an initiative the once-dubbed ‘Fab Four’ appeared on stage together to promote. So, is there a distinct sense of ‘anything you can do, we can do better’? You decide… BOTANICAL BATTLES While you can’t imagine Her Majesty picking a favourite, the royal houses championed competing…

‘I’m worried about Kim,’ my mum, Elizabeth Edwards, said. ‘I don’t like her new boyfriend, Lucas. They’re obsessed with one another.’ This wasn’t the first time Mum had voiced her worries about her second daughter, my half-sister. They’d always had a strained relationship. I couldn’t understand it. Mum and I had always been close, especially after she split from my dad when I was three. It was just us two, until she met my stepfather when I was 11. They had Kim when I was 13, then 17 months later, Katie. But even as a child, Kim seemed to take against Mum. The only excuse was that, when Kim was six, Mum had hit her in a stupid row over the TV. Horrified, Mum referred herself to social services. I’d…

1 BECOME A CASHBACK QUEEN! Sign-up to cashback websites such as Quidco or Topcashback. Every time you shop online via a cashback site, you’ll get a percentage of your purchase price back. You have to shop via the specific cashback site so that your purchase can be tracked. It is money for nothing, but remember – only ever buy something because the price is right and not because of the cashback. 2 RECLAIM WHAT YOU’RE OWED If you pay your energy bills via direct debit and your account statements show you’re in credit, you’re entitled to ask for a refund. It’s worth checking if you’re owed cash from closed or switched accounts, too. Myenergycredit.com is a useful place to start. Also, if you spend at least 35 hours a week…

… the new Strictly judge I know that whoever the BBC are going to choose will be absolutely perfect for the show. You’re all going to be delighted. … missing Darcey Bussell She was like my queen. That lady held my hand the whole time, and I have never laughed so much with another woman in all my life. She was amazing and she will be sorely missed, for sure. … finding new love (with actor Daniel Taylor) I never thought I would find anybody in my life that I cared about again. Just… past history and different men that you are with gnaw away at your confidence. But, yes, I’ve met someone very nice and we are very happy. … climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in honour of her brother David,…

She’s said before that she would never go back to EastEnders, and didn’t miss acting at all. For the past five years, Patsy Palmer, who played Bianca Jackson in the soap, has been living the American dream with her family in a £5 million mansion in Malibu, Los Angeles, showing no sign of missing her past life. So the news that she’s turning her back on her glitzy Hollywood life to return to decidedly unglamorous Walford came as a bombshell. It’s expected that the star, 47, will rejoin the cast in the next few weeks to start filming Bianca’s sensational return. So what’s changed her mind? Jon Sen, EastEnders’ new executive producer, has made it clear that bringing Bianca out of retirement was his main priority. And it looks like the soap…

TOP TIP! For an investment piece, you really can’t go wrong with this stripe two-piece. It’s smart enough for work, and with flat sandals and a simple T-shirt, it’s great for the weekend! TOP TIP! To stand out from the fashion pack, invest in a jumpsuit. This cropped style is easy to wear and will keep you cool when the temperature soars! TOP TIP! For stylish summer dressing, a relaxed maxi looks effortlessly chic worn on holiday or at home.…

‘W to our own lives and our ell, the circus has left town, and now we can all get back own problems – instead of fizzing with fury at the idea that the democratically elected leader of the free world, Donald J Trump, was afforded VIP red-carpet treatment for a State visit to the UK. I wasn’t fizzing at that idea, though. I was fizzing at the infantile, self-righteous idiots throwing their toys out of their prams and embarrassing the entire country with their silly statues, big balloons and open displays of hatred and attempted humiliation. If you ask me, the behaviour of the protesters and indeed, most of the media – who flooded the news with anti-Trump crybabies – shamed the UK. Especially as Trump was here to commemorate…

‘Of course, Lost Voice Guy isn’t my real name. My parents were never mean enough to put that on my birth certificate. At least, that’s what they told me to say whenever the nice person from Social Services visited. That’s a joke, by the way. “Lost Voice Guy” is my stage name. I gave it to myself to stand out from the crowd. Let’s face it, when you’re on a bill with 10 other comedians, it’s a lot easier to remember Lost Voice Guy than it is to remember some random name. Though I’ll also answer to “No Voice Boy”, “Non-Speaking Man” and “Him, who won The X Factor”. My real name is Lee, and I’ve been disabled since before it was popular. I wasn’t born this way. In fact,…

Tortilla & salsa salad Sweet, crunchy shredded salad, smoky dressing and a zesty sweetcorn and bean salsa come together for a deliciously fresh take on nachos SERVES 6 READY IN 15 MINS PRICE PER SERVING £1.03 1 To make the salsa, mix together 198g tin sweetcorn in water, drained, 400g tin black beans in water, drained and rinsed, 3 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeds removed and finely chopped, 1 avocado, peeled, destoned and cubed, 4 spring onions, thinly sliced, ½ clove garlic, crushed, 15g coriander, finely chopped, and the zest and juice 1 lime. Season with freshly ground black pepper. 2 Put 230g bag Asda Fine Cut Salad in a bowl, add 4tbsp Asda Smoky Buttermilk Ranch Dressing and toss to combine. Tip onto a serving platter then top with 180g bag…

Chelsea Pensioner, Colin Thackery, 89, was the runaway winner of this year’s Britain’s Got Talent, and pretty much the whole nation fell in love with him, with his unassuming persona and his personal story, full of bravery and romance. Aged 15, Colin joined the army, and later fought in the Korean War. He dedicated his BGT performance to his late wife Joan, who sadly died two years ago, following 66 years of marriage. The singing war veteran who tugged at our heartstrings admits he first auditioned as a ‘bit of a dare’. But now, it looks like his dream of singing for the Queen – at the Royal Variety Performance in November – is closer than ever… Huge congratulations, Colin! You looked shocked when you heard you’d won. What went…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT Fancy a sun-drenched road trip? Then the Florida Keys, with its colourful houses, sprawling waterways and buzzing culture, is it. Visit Hemingway’s old drinking den, Sloppy Joe’s, go snorkelling, get acquainted with the local dolphins, or simply enjoy cocktails by the beach and soak up the views. As the locals say, once you’ve felt the sand between your feet, you have to come back. Who are we to argue? INSIDER’S GUIDE The Islander Resort in tranquil Islamorada is a great base. We visited the Coral Restoration Foundation to hear how they’re saving the threatened reef, before heading out to see for ourselves. Stop off at the Hungry Tarpon at Robbie’s Marina, and buy a bucket of fish to feed the huge tarpon afterwards! In Big Pine, try kayaking…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES TO ENTER CALL 0900 100 0921 (UK 65ppm)† /1550 787026 (ROI 97cpm) † CODE: PUBSTN19424 Also from the same country as Picture B, musician Neneh Cherry is mum to which rising pop star? (5) This is your prize answer. See below for details on how to enter. ACROSS 3 Ode To A Nightingale and I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud are what type of literary works? (5)6 Which Greek island is believed to be the birthplace of Zeus? (5)7 Which Oscar wrote The Importance Of Being Earnest? (5)8 What is the name for an edible seed such as a lentil or chickpea? (5)10 ANAGRAM PEELS11 The STUDY is in a right old state – needs a good clean! (5)12…