Table of contents for 22-2022 in Best

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t go through their pictures looking for the best ones, quickly deleting the less-flattering angle? Maybe you know how to use an app to make yourselves look even better than the real you. I’m not judging. I’ve done it. I’m just questioning why we all do it and I applaud all of the Loose Women who have relaunched their campaign to be proud of our real faces and bodies, no matter what size, age or shape. I’m in my 50s and, truthfully, I’m not sure what lessons I’m teaching my 24-year-old daughter, when I asked her go into my photos and show me a picture with a filter on it. Since the campaign first launched in 2017, Nadia Sawalha has been a shining example of showing…

WOULD YOU EVER GO ON STRICTLY? I would love to! That and the jungle, I would literally do tomorrow. Is anyone reading?! WHAT’S THE SECRET TO YOUR GLOWING SKIN? Using my skincare line, Saira Skin (sairaskin.co.uk)! Every product contains natural, organic oils, produced without pesticides. WHAT’S ONE OF YOUR FAVE BOOKS/TV SHOWS? I’m a bit of a streaming fanatic – I loved It’s A Sin, Billions and Line Of Duty!…

BEST SUPERMARKET BEEF BURGER Tesco Finest Brisket & Chuck Burger 227g (2pk), £3 Surprisingly, our panel thought these finely ground patties smelt similar to a Cumberland sausage, but on taste, the strong beefy flavour came through. Some found them a little gristly, however – but overall they appreciated the onion and garlic seasoning. Score: 78/100 Waitrose No 1 Hereford Beef 30 Day Dry Aged Steak Burgers, 340g (2pk), £5 Made from grass and forage-fed Hereford British beef, these elegant burgers have a very distinct flavour – think buttery and earthy, with a subtle sweetness. Some may find them a touch too salty (that’ll be the pink Himalayan rock salt), however they’re undeniably juicy. Score: 78/100 BEST SAUSAGE CENTREPIECE Waitrose Pork, Chorizo & Manchego Sausage Whorls, 360g (4pk), £ This beautiful whirl…

REGENT’S PARK, LONDON The award-winning Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of the largest in London, situated in the beautiful surroundings of a Royal park. A variety of summer shows, including Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel can be booked. Shows from 17 June. Visit openairtheatre.com THIRLESTANE CASTLE, SCOTLAND This magnificent 16th Century castle, set in a quiet meadow in the Scottish Borders, is just over half an hour south of Edinburgh. Join the all-female troupe on the front lawn, for a bicyclepowered production of Macbeth by Shakespeare. From 26 Aug. Visit thirlestanecastle.co.uk CARDIFF OPEN-AIR THEATRE Each year, the award-winning Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival attracts over 14,000 visitors a year across six weeks, in the centre of Cardiff. This year, Richard III by William Shakespeare,…

School, the training ground of the barbaric. Some say they have never been bullied, which always makes me think they probably bullied someone else or at least turned a blind eye, decided not to see to another person’s loneliness, sadness; choosing to only see strangeness and a scapegoat. Relieved, mostly, that they weren’t the ones being teased or ostracised. Cowards. Bullying is a term that has lost its power through overuse. It shouldn’t have, we should still all be afraid of the gang, the herd, the mob. When I was a girl, name-calling was dismissed. ‘Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me,’ retorted the teacher if you tried to tell them that someone had said something so cutting, so vile that you wanted to…

It wasn’t until June 1980 that the police released a composite sketch to the media. The image of the man in his late teens – or early 20s – was based on descriptions given by two witnesses who had seen a man at the shopping mall. This person of interest was believed to be white, around 6ft tall, but more than 60 suspects were eliminated and tragically, the case went cold. It must have been another devastating blow for Michelle’s family, who wanted justice for their daughter. But in 1995, Michelle’s father died and just three years later, her mother Janet also passed away. Neither had ever come to terms with losing their daughter – or received the closure they’d desperately wanted. But friends and family didn’t give up hope……

Do you have a story you’d like to share with our amazing army of best readers? We’re looking for real-life stories from women just like you and your friends – and will pay up to £200 for all those that make it into these pages. Stories can be funny, sad, emotional, inspirational – just like some of the examples on this page. The only rule: they must be true. Have you been on a diet that changed your life? Have you battled against tough times and come out fighting? Have you found love or happiness against the odds? If you – or a friend – have a story to share, whatever the subject, do drop us a line, with your contact details, a photo and a brief outline of your…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES Use the anagrams, straight, cryptic, quiz and picture clues to solve the crossword. When completed correctly, the pink squares, reading top to bottom, left to right, will reveal the answer to the question below: Who organised the ‘morale boost’ mentioned in 11A? (3,5) This is your prize answer. Enter by using the numbers at the top of the grid or at hearstmagazines.co.uk/bestcross2221 ACROSS 6 What West Indian dance is where participants must bend backwards to pass under a horizontal bar? (5) 8 What word can be added to the front of man, nova and star to make three different things? (5) 10 What famous statue is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo? (5) 11 PICTURE A Name…

1 SLIME SHOCKER! It was less crowning glory and more slime ’n’ gory when Scarlett Johansson accepted an award at the 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards. The 36-year-old got covered in slime by her prankster hubby, Colin Jost, who appeared to have mistaken the ceremony for the Kids’ Choice Awards. She stopped in shock before shouting, ‘What the f***?!’ as Colin apologised. For once, we can excuse the bad language – we’d have been furious! Oti sizzles in figure-hugging scarlet; blue is the hue for Holly, and Georgia hits the right spot 2 Who wowed the crowd? Who needs symmetry to stay in fashion? These one-shouldered wonders are a classic option. Oti Mabuse, 30, looked red-hot as a guest on The Jonathan Ross Show, while Holly Willoughby, 40, got…

I smiled as my husband, David, backed into the bedroom, carrying two cups of tea. Our 12-year-old son, Jay, was in tow and the pair climbed under the covers with me. ‘Sleep well?’ I beamed at David. ‘I did,’ he grinned back, kissing my cheek. ‘You?’ In fact, I hadn’t stopped smiling since David, now 48, and I moved in together – which, given that we’ve been in a relationship for 20 years and married for eight – isn’t that long, really… Five months, in fact. Yep, that’s right. Despite becoming a couple, having a child and tying the knot, we’d missed out what many people regard as being a huge part of a relationship – moving in together. I met David in 2001, when I worked as a receptionist…

It was a magical birthday. Surrounded by my best friends and my husband, Jamey, we played cards, told stories and listened to music. But there was no cocktail in my glass and I wasn’t dancing. In fact, I wasn’t getting up at all. ‘Fifty and nine months pregnant!’ I thought, looking down at my beautiful bump. The flutter of my unborn baby inside me made me feel invincible. It may have taken a while for me to get there. But I couldn’t wait for the next chapter to begin. I never planned to be an older mum. For decades, I never planned to be a mum at all. Growing up, I didn’t have any interest in having children, and in my 20s and 30s, I lived in New York, pursuing…

HOW IT WORKS 1 Eating a sugar-loaded diet not only increases blood pressure, it leads to inflammation, weight gain and unbalances your hormonal system, affecting skin and making it harder to stay slim. 2 If you do a sugar detox right you’ll start to see the benefits in days. The easiest way is to cut out all synthetic sugars including sugary drinks, sweets, alcohol and meal replacement bars. 3 While you’re detoxing, notice the foods that cause you problems like bloating and the foods that set up cravings – often hidden sugars found in cereals and even bread. 4 By switching to whole grains, greens and lean protein after just 10 days you should notice a change in your taste buds: you’ll be more sensitive to the sweetness receptors in…

The words ‘musical legend’ get bandied about with surprising ease, but in Eddy Grant’s case, they couldn’t be more fitting. One of Britain’s best-loved reggae stars, the Guyanese native (his country has honoured him with not only a lifetime achievement award, but his own postage stamp!) kicked off his recording career in Sixties London with The Equals, one of the country’s first racially integrated pop groups, who had an unforgettable No.1 hit with Baby Come Back. Eddy, now 73, followed that success with songs including I Don’t Wanna Dance, and his platinum-selling Eighties album, Electric Avenue. Here, the reflective star, who performed at Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebrations, tells best about the music he continues to make, famous friends swinging by his studio and why, despite the storms, his philosophy on…

WHIRLWIND WORRIES My son has just announced that he’s getting married. He is 33, shy, a little socially awkward and has never had a proper girlfriend. While I am happy for him, I can’t help but have some concerns about the whole thing. This woman’s only 22, which seems like quite a big age gap to me – and they only met on the internet five months ago. We have met her twice now and she seems nice enough, and I know that everybody does it nowadays, but I can’t help thinking he is making a mistake – isn’t this too much, way too soon? Dolly, Basingstoke Your lonely, shy son has met a young woman who loves him enough to want to spend her life with him, what’s not…

‘Is that all there is, Nanny?’ Our granddaughter Poppy’s face was a picture of dismay, gazing at the so-called playground. It was awful – just a couple of rusty old swings, caked in what looked like decades of bird poo. When I married my husband Brian in 2001, we already had four children from previous relationships, between us. In recent years, we’ve been blessed with six grandchildren. We love spending time with all of them. But our most frequent visitor is Poppy, now four, whose mum is my daughter Shauni, 27. Shauni’s a single mum, so Poppy comes to stay with us most weekends. Now Brian and me had moved to East Studdal in Kent – a quiet village community where people were welcoming and friendly. But the first time…

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In 2006, following DNA advancements, investigators were able to create a profile using the killer’s DNA and eventually, detectives turned to DNA that had been freely given in genetic genealogical research to trace possible relatives. It helped to lead to many convictions – including that of the Golden State Killer, who had terrorised California in the Seventies and Eighties. Could this help in Michelle’s cold case killing? Police turned to pioneering DNA phenotyping to predict the physical appearance and ancestry from the DNA evidence they had gathered from the crime scene all those years ago. Portraits and predictions about the killer’s possible background were considered. Using a commercial genetic genealogy site and DNA evidence, investigators were able to build a family tree, and narrow down the suspect to just three…

TRUE LIES 9pm, E4, Friday A secret agent’s life takes a shocking turn when he learns his wife has been playing away. He must now not only save the world but also save his own marriage. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, start your weekend off right! EFFIE GRAY 11.20pm, BBC Two, Friday When Effie Gray becomes the wife of writer John Ruskin, it soon becomes apparent that Ruskin regards her as a muse rather than a romantic partner, and the stifling atmosphere soon takes a toll on Effie’s health. With Dakota Fanning and Emma Thompson. PITCH PERFECT 2 9pm, ITV 2, Friday Fancy a feel-good Friday film? Look no further as the a capella Bellas’ return, striving to resurrect their image by entering a difficult international competition to…

Comedian, actor and animal lover Ricky Gervais has never been backward in coming forward, and regularly uses his platform to speak out against animal cruelty. Most recently, alongside other UK celebs such as Brian May, Dame Judi Dench and Alesha Dixon, the After Life star urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ban the sale of fur in the UK, arguing that it ‘doesn’t even require debate’. ‘The people wearing fur for pleasure… I don’t know what to do with them. Just think! Why are you doing it? Why do you need that?’ Ricky asked. A joint letter calling for a #FurFreeBritain read, ‘It’s shocking to know that in fur farms and traps around the world, more than 100 million animals suffer and die… Their blood is on our hands for…

Stars of daytime panel show Loose Women stripped off recently as part of the show’s powerful Body Stories campaign, which they first did back in 2017. They appeared in a series of black and white before and after snaps, railing against ‘body tuning’ – apps which create a ‘tuned’ filtered version of the person, digitally removing any imperfections. ‘I’ve got cellulite but that’s part of ageing’ And one of the brave ladies, joining pals such as Stacey Solomon, Coleen Nolan, Denise Welch and Nadia Sawalha in snaps before they were ‘body tuned’, then after – was popular ‘Loosie’, Linda Robson. Linda has had her fair share of body battles, over the years, like most women. As well as a secret battle with OCD, drinking and depression, which led to a…

Since she burst on to our screens as a contestant in the first series of The Apprentice, Saira Khan has certainly made her presence felt. She may be just 5ft 1in, but this little ‘pocket rocket’ has been a Loose Woman, a columnist, a TV presenter and now a skincare specialist. But the best thing (we think!) about Saira is she’s never shy about coming forward and speaking her mind. Married to husband Steve Hyde and mum to Zac, 12, and Amara, 10 (the daughter she adopted at just a few days old from Pakistan), we caught up with the feisty 51-year-old, to talk about love in lockdown, staying in shape and why we all need to stop being so offended… Hi Saira, tell us about The Big Lunch, which you’re…

Self-tan can seem like a tricky business, taking precious time out of your evening, plus it comes with risks (streaks, blotches, tell-tale stains between fingers) that can outweigh the results. But, what if, with the right products and a few clever tricks, you could look naturally radiant from head to toe in less time than you’d think – and with less mess? 1 GLOW SLOWLY These no-fuss formulas create a subtle glow that is strengthened the more you use them. What’s more, they don’t need washing off or more blending than a body lotion. ‘Apply liberally every few days to keep your colour topped up,’ says tanning expert Jules Von Hep. ‘No buffing, no blending, just exfoliate the night before, and wash your hands afterwards.’ On in-between days, use body…

Watermelon martini Who could forget the immortal line of Baby in Dirty Dancing: ‘I carried a watermelon’? Why not keep out of the heat and watch a feel-good Summer movie while sipping this deliciously refreshing cocktail? SERVES 1 160g cubed ripe watermelon60ml vodkaSugar syrup, to tasteA small watermelon slice, to garnish Muddle the watermelon flesh in a cocktail shaker, add the vodka and a handful of ice cubes and shake sharply. Taste and add sugar syrup if you’d like it sweeter. Strain into a Martini glass, garnish with a slice of watermelon and serve at once. Spicy green Margarita A tropical, herby, citrusy, spicy Margarita, but be warned – it’s hot, hot, hot! SERVES 1 A lime wedgeSea salt flakes, to rim the glass8 fresh mint leaves, plus a small…

SCARED OF LASER EYE SURGERY My eyesight’s become far worse in the past year, and I’m fed up with glasses. I am seriously looking into the idea of laser eye surgery. The idea of something going wrong, however, absolutely terrifies me and it’s always the horror stories you remember reading, isn’t it?! What are your thoughts on the procedure, Dr Hilary – is it safe? Dorothy, Northampton DR HILARY SAYS: I completely understand that any procedure affecting your eyes must be considered carefully and many people think that laser eye surgery is still rather novel. In fact, it has been around for many, many years now and is one of the safest procedures and most popular choices anybody can make. It is actually safer than wearing contact lenses, to some…

FOR THE LOVE OF THE JOB EAMONN: Being ill these past couple of months with my back has made me dependent on a lot of people. Coronavirus has made us collectively dependent on those working for the National Health Service. Not only dependent, but also, it seems, inspired, because the pandemic has created what is being called the ‘Nightingale’ effect. Such is our admiration for the caring professions that 11,000 more people than usual have become nurses, midwives and health visitors. I salute every one of them. Part of my admiration stems from the fact that I don’t believe I would have what it takes. That so often, these are people not motivated by their pay packet, but by the difference they can make, and the help that they can…

GEMINI 22 May – 21 June Geminis such as silver screen acting and directing legend Clint Eastwood, and everyone’s favourite judge, Rob Rinder, should not have to push themselves forward with immense effort. If they do their best to stay calm under pressure and are happy to go with it, they’ll start feeling as if they are making progress. VIRGO 24 August – 23 September You aren’t sure whether someone is deliberately making things awkward for you, or if you are being too sensitive. You’re doing your best to take a logical approach to emotional matters. You could make it easy on yourself by staying positive. Pottery, jewellery-making, music and art are good outlets for your creativity. SAGITTARIUS 23 November – 21 December Despite a few problems early on, most…

THE CRIME: A beautiful teenager, a life full of potential and a grisly, tragic end. Could this schoolgirl help to solve her own murder…? THE CASE: Michelle Martinko was like any other teenager on the cusp of starting her adult life. The high school senior was popular, clever, loved to sing and was an upbeat member of the school twirling squad. The pretty, vibrant blonde performed in theatre productions and had plans to go to university, where she wanted to study interior design. It was an exciting time too. There were just a few weeks left of 1979, and there must undoubtedly have been excitement as to what the next decade might bring. At the time, Michelle lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with her parents Albert and Janet – and…