Table of contents for 14-2020 in Best

Journalist and TV presenter Fiona Phillips, 59, is among the many famous faces struck down by the potentially deadly coronavirus. Warning us about the symptoms of the ‘nasty’ illness, she explained that ‘the first sign of its generosity is in the form of a horrible, sort of scratchy gut pain’. And Fiona can’t quite believe she’s having to reach out from her sick-bed. ‘I didn’t think I’d ever be writing from my bed… In fact, I didn’t think I was ever likely to be lounging around, in forced isolation, and sweating, in bed on a Tuesday morning, with my husband and two sons all off from work and the muted sounds of an eerie, silent atmosphere travelling through my sickroom window…’ Sadly, there will be a lot of people going…

Like a lot of us, former EastEnders star Lisa Faulker is currently re-organising her life, so she can self-isolate with her family – and says she is finding it all a bit ‘weird’. To cope, she admitted: ‘It’s the little things like having a cup of tea in bed with my husband, before we start our day. Chatting and planning what we can do, how we can help.’ She’s trying to stay active, too: ‘I did some meditation first, then I did some yoga. I’ve been really quiet and the house is really quiet. John’s doing the garden.’ The 48-year-old mum-of-one who, like so many of us, is worrying about elderly relatives she can’t visit, shares her North London home with adopted daughter Billie, 14, John, 54, and the family’s two dogs, Otto…

Creme Egg fudge Makes: 60 squares Prep time: 15 mins Cooking time: 25 mins Plus cooling (hours) You will need a sugar thermometer 300g caster sugar300ml double cream100g butter75g dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces1 tsp vanilla extract3 creme eggs 1 Line a shallow baking tin (16cm x 24cm) with baking parchment. Put the sugar, cream and butter in a large pan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Make sure you don’t leave any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan as this will affect the texture of the fudge, so brush them down with a pastry brush if need be. 2 Turn up the heat and boil for 10-15 minutes, stirring to ensure it doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan, until the fudge reaches 115°C…

FINANCIALLY Fabulous Join our campaign and get your finances sorted at hearstmagazines.co.uk/ffbest for money-saving tips and brilliant advice on being financially savvy. 1 BE AWARE OF FRAUD Whenever there’s a crisis, there’s also a guarantee that fraudsters will seize the opportunity to try to take from you what they can. Since the start of the Coronavirus outbreak, scammers have already tricked the public out of £800,000. Watch out for Coronavirus-themed phishing emails, text messages and calls, which will ask you for personal or even financial details. Remember, never click on a link in an email or text you receive out of the blue. If you receive an unexpected phone call where you are asked for personal or financial information, hang up. Wait two minutes to ensure the line has been…

Suranne Jones, 41, stars in the follow-up to gritty missing child drama Save Me. Did you always hope there would be a conclusion to this story? None of us knew, but we all signed up to do it again straight away. You look around at the cast. They’re just so great. So why wouldn’t you?! What was your reaction when you started to read the script? You always think ‘I hope the ending’s good – and it is! Intriguing and interesting and a bit shocking. Where are Claire and Nelly now? The end of season one left them holding hands in the car. They’d like to be together, because I think they love each other, but they don’t belong together. They’re going through the same thing. Exactly. She’s back with…

If there’s one thing that can be relied on to lift our spirits in troubled times, it’s the power of music. And who better to ride to the rescue than national treasure, choirmaster Gareth Malone. The best thing is, we can all join in. In response to a suggestion from Esther Rantzen that he should set up a national choir via social media to keep up morale, Gareth has done just that! ‘I’ve heard the call from Esther Rantzen! I’m going to do a music project. All of my friends who are musicians who have nothing to do are sitting around trying to keep their spirits up’, he said. ‘So we’re going to put together the Great British Home Chorus, or “Home Malone” as I like to call it.’ And…

BEST FOR: TOTAL FAMILY FUN Highland Safaris, Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross WHAT IS IT? Over acres of glorious hills, you’ll be driven in a Land Rover to see native animals and birds. Highland Safaris operates from the village of Dull (twinned with Boring, Oregon!), off-roading through forest and mountains. We did a 90-minute Forest Safari (adults £45, children £25, highlandsafaris.net). My four-year-old niece was thrilled by the mountain hares, wild ponies and a rare red squirrel, while expert guide Alan also pointed out hunting buzzards. WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO? Choose a mountain safari, which is an hour longer, and takes you up to nearly 3,000ft. Or take a boat trip on nearby Loch Tay (lochtaysafaris.net). WHERE TO STAY: Close by is the beautiful Mains of Taymouth country estate, with luxurious cottages…

The news that Prince Charles has been diagnosed with the deadly Coronavirus has come as a huge shock to everyone – and must be particularly worrying for his youngest son, Prince Harry, who is miles away in Canada. Charles tested positive for the virus last week and, although his symptoms are said to be ‘mild’, he is in isolation at Balmoral. In the best spirit of ‘keeping calm and carrying on’, he is even continuing to work. His wife, Camilla, 72, who is also in residence, has tested negative for the bug, which must be a relief due to her age and smoking habit. Of course, at 71, Charles’ age puts him in the vulnerable category, and has raised fears for the Queen – although Her Majesty, in isolation with…

We watch them every day, wearing their hearts on their sleeves and telling us things that most of us wouldn’t know about our closest friends - but how much have we retained from watching these loose-lipped women? Take our quiz, and find out how big of a fan you really are… 1 Which celebrity was Denise Welch formerly married to? A) Tim HealyB) Eamonn HolmesC) Shane RichieD) Rod Stewart 2 Which Loose lady squeezed into a fetching red PVC catsuit to dress up as Britney Spears on the show?! A) Linda RobsonB) Penny LancasterC) Coleen NolanD) Kaye Adams 3 Who moved all over the world as a child and was sent to a forces boarding school at 11 because her father was in the military? A) Ruth LangsfordB) Carol McGiffinC)…

HOMEBIRD AND HAPPY! I have to admit that, at the moment, I’m secretly enjoying this period of self-isolation. I’m a homebird anyway and, bar the odd walk in the park, being forced to stay in and cuddle on the sofa with my boyfriend doesn’t bother me. He, on the other hand, is climbing the walls, wants an immediate solution to this crisis and is really struggling with not being able to go out and socialise at the pub any more. What can I do to help him? Sue, Lanarkshire This is no picnic for anyone. At Feltz Towers, it’s the opposite way around. I’m pacing the floor, while my fiancé, Ben, seems to have sunk permanently into the sofa. We all cope with challenges in very different ways, and the…

Spicy pork lettuce wraps If you are finding it hard to pick up beef mince, switch to pork instead. These wraps are spicy, sweet and fragrant – basically the perfect mid-week meal to brighten up your evening! Serves 4 Per serving: £1.39 Cals 411 Fat 25.5g 1tbsp vegetable oil850g pork mince3 cloves garlic, sliced2 inches ginger, grated15ml runny honey40ml fish sauce1 lime1 little gem lettuce1 red chilli, sliced4tbsp fresh coriander, chopped4tbsp fresh mint, chopped 1. Fry the pork mince in oil on a high heat until it cooks through, you don’t need to worry about colouring the meat. 2. Add the garlic and ginger and stir through for a minute before adding the honey and fish sauce. After another minute remove from the heat and squeeze in the juice of…

THE BIG HITTER! Solve the crossword in the usual way. When completed correctly, the pink squares, reading top to bottom, left to right, will reveal the answer to the Big Hitter Big Question. Check the solution, bottom right. ACROSS 1 Our pictured star who recently completed her, Madame X tour (7)  7 Medical building (8) 11 To and ___, backwards and forwards (3) 12 ___ Ritchie, film director and ex-husband of 1A (3) 13 ___ Another Day, Bond theme recorded by 1A for the film of the same name (5) 14 ‘Strike a pose’ hit for 1A (5) 16 See if a garment fits (3,2) 17 Indian instrument (5) 18 Court hearing (5) 19 Wandering tribesman (5) 21 Golf peg (3) 22 Zodiac sign for October and November (7) 24…

To celebrate the launch of the Copenhagen range, Oak Furnitureland is offering one lucky reader the chance to win a brand-new Copenhagen double bed and posture pocket mattress. Made from solid natural oak, furniture in the range includes beds, wardrobes, sideboards and more – perfect for adding a touch of elegance to any home. The Copenhagen range can be paired to create statement rooms, or one-off pieces can add a touch of simplicity to accent room designs. For more details, and to find your local showroom, visit oakfurnitureland.co.uk HOW TO ENTER ONLINE: Save money by entering online at hearstmagazines.co.uk/best1420 by Friday 17 April 2020. PHONE: Call 0901 027 2726 by midnight on Friday 17 April 2020. Calls cost 30p per minute, plus your telephone company’s network access charge, and will…

Geordie actress and long-standing Loose Women panellist Denise Welch, 61, was recently accused of being a ‘corona denier’, after attempting to alleviate our anxiety surrounding Covid-19 with a touch of light-hearted humour. Denise was criticised online after sharing a spoof video of a group of men partying, supposedly while their wives were ‘in quarantine’ – and for criticising Boris Johnson’s comment that families ‘would lose loved ones’ as ‘irresponsible’. ‘Too many people like yourself have been down playing this impending hell,’ said one Twitter user. ‘Get real,’ wrote another. But the mum-of-two, who is always open about her own mental health issues, argued on the panel show that humour is her way of coping with the pandemic – and that it should be ours, too. ‘Of course, we’re all worried – but…

TOP TIP! Splash out on a coloured top for a cheery look – it will make you feel brighter in seconds. TOP TIP! These cropped trousers are super stretchy and look fresh for Spring teamed with a floral top. TOP TIP! Loose enough for lounging around the house but will work equally well when we’re out and about.…

• Sizes vary from 30ml to 125ml TOP TIP! Apply to damp hands to help lock in as much moisture as possible.…

SCORE: 8-10 Congratulations, you are the ultimate Loose Women fan. There is little you don’t know about these ladies! You clearly love a gossip with the girls – don’t we all! SCORE: 5-8 Your Loose Women knowledge is solid but, the good news is, some of the repeats currently being shown on ITV might be new to you! Happy watching! SCORE: UNDER 5 Loose Women isn’t your mastermind chosen subject, but why should it be? Keep watching your own favourite shows and email the Ed and let us know what you would like to be quizzed on.…

OVERWHELMED AT SON’S DIAGNOSIS My son, 16, has only recently been diagnosed with autism – and it has completely knocked me and my husband for six. I had suspected he might be ‘on the spectrum’, as they say, for some years. He’s very clever, but finds it difficult to make friends, he can’t cope with schoolwork and finds it impossible to take turns in a conversation at the dinner table with his siblings. We’re getting great help from the school and healthcare professionals, but I’m feeling utterly overwhelmed – and I’m filled with terror, when I think about what this could mean for my gorgeous boy and his future. Rachel, Birmingham MANDY SAYS: As parents, we all have dreams for our children and ideas of who they might become or…

HOW IT WORKS We’ve devised a menu that makes the most of the food you already have at home. We’ve based meals around storecupboard items so you don’t need to shop as much and you’ll save money, too. GETTING STARTED • Follow our seven-day meal plan (right) for up to a month, but no longer. It includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks each day. • Drink at least eight glasses of fluid daily. Water, diet drinks and tea and coffee can be drunk freely. • Your daily milk allowance is 250ml of semi-skimmed milk (fresh or long-life) in addition to milk mentioned in the plan. • If you have bread (fresh or frozen) you can swap a cup of rice/pasta from the relevant lunch options for two slices of…

ARIES 21 March – 20 April This is a wonderful time for Arians like Mamma Mia! and Downtown Abbey star, Lily James, as well as actress and novelist, Jane Asher, to express their creative side. Any chance to display your talent is worth taking. Take the chance to help a friend realise a cherished dream. CANCER 22 June – 23 July A friend will surprise you by insisting on repaying a favour you did for them in the past. Be sure to accept their kind offer. You were about to give up with a project that has been problematic – teamwork will bring success where solo efforts have failed. You’re finding it easier to express your deepest feelings. LIBRA 24 September – 23 October Be careful when talking about confidential…

PETER WRIGHT is one of the stars of popular Channel 5 show, The Yorkshire Vet – now in its 10th series. As a teenager, Peter came to work under the world’s most famous vet, James Herriot – author of the celebrated All Creatures Great and Small books, which spawned the much-loved Seventies TV series on the Beeb. Here, Peter talks about that heritage – as well as offering pet owners some sound advice about the importance of exercising our furry friends amid the Coronavirus lockdown. How is the virus impacting you as a vet? Massively. We are only looking at emergency cases. We are having to ask people to stay out of the surgery, and having an initial phone conversation before we can see any animal. We must minimise human contact as much as…