Table of contents for 29-2021 in Best

‘Hope’s high,’ beamed Susanna Reid on GMB last Thursday morning, summing up the expectations of a nation as we struggled to keep the hopes we dared to dream under control. As I write this, I do not know the result from Sunday’s game but, win or lose, one thing’s for sure: We have collectively fallen in love with England’s manager, Gareth Southgate. Read one journalist’s take on why on p16! But whoever your Heroes of the games were (mine was in no small way the boy from Brent, Raheem Sterling), there are unsung Heroes all over Britain. From the bravery of our NHS workers to the carers, firefighters, campaign game changers and ‘ordinary’ mums and dads who quietly do the most ‘extraordinary’ things. Turn to p47 to read about some…

Ulrika Jonsson has the attitude we should all try to have about our bodies. Who cares if we’re not as toned and pert as our 21-year-old selves? We’ve done incredible things with it! Indeed, when she donned a bright orange bikini recently, the 53-year-old (who incidentally still has the most incredible figure, despite her self-confessed hang-ups) was defiant about her perceived imperfections. ‘You’re welcome!’ she wrote in the caption accompanying the revealing snap, uploaded to her Instagram Stories in celebration of National Bikini Day – having recently vowed to ‘own’ her body after stripping naked for a men’s mental health charity campaign. And, though confident Ulrika may be tanned, toned and have the kind of figure most 50-somethings would kill for, she has her moments of self-doubt, too. The straight-talking…

Denise Van Outen became a household name back in the Nineties as the co-host of Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast, alongside Jonny Vaughan. Since then, she’s become one of the most recognised female faces – and voices – on TV and has enjoyed a successful career both in the West End and on Broadway, playing Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago. She’s recently appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox, Dancing on Ice and The Masked Singer – this girl is everywhere! Here, Essex-based Denise, 47, who has daughter Betsy, 11, with her ex, actor Lee Mead, talks about her new ITV cooking show Cooking with the Stars, and returning to her roots as a TV presenter for the first time in nine years, on Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch… Denise, tell us about your new ITV show, Cooking with the…

When actress and mum-of-one Claire Sweeney, 50, shared some pics on her Instagram profile recently, there was just one thing her followers wanted to know – what’s her secret to looking so good?! Claire was approaching her 50th when she popped in to see me at the clinic a few months ago. We chatted about the ‘big’ birthday and how Claire felt about her body. Not a very different story to most of us who have had children and struggled with that last bit of baby weight. Claire didn’t want liposuction, with a general anaesthetic and downtime, as she has her son to look after. After discussions, I suggested BodyTite. It’s less invasive than regular liposuction and has the benefits of skin tightening too – something many of us would…

• KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE! Look for the word ‘WIN’ everywhere you go. You’ll find competitions on product packaging, magazines, apps, bus stops, waiting rooms. If you don’t have time to enter there and then, have your phone handy to take a photo and enter later. • DON’T PAY There are thousands of free competitions out there, so don’t waste money paying to enter. Look for free entry on the website for big TV cash prizes. There’s no point paying £2 a text for a prize when millions are entering and you have little chance of winning. • MAKE IT PERSONAL Make a list of the things you spend money on, such as TV and music subscriptions. Could you win it instead? Do a Google search to find…

CARROT CAKE The slightly lower baking temperature makes for an even softer and more moist cake. When making the icing, make sure the butter is completely soft or else you’ll end up with a lumpy result. Serves 12Hands-on time: 40min, plus coolingCooking time: 1hr 10min FOR THE CAKE 225ml sunflower oil, plus extrato grease225g light muscovado sugar4 medium eggs225g self-raising flour1tsp bicarbonate of soda11/2tsp each of mixed spice, groundcinnamon and ground ginger150g sultanas200g carrots, coarsely grated50-75g walnuts or pecans,roughly chopped FOR THE ICING 250g unsalted butter, very soft1tsp vanilla extract400g full-fat cream cheese, we usedPhiladelphia, at room temperature300g icing sugarCarrot decorations, optional 1 Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan)/mark 3. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20.5cm round cake tin with parchment paper. Put the oil, sugar…

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 story –…

THE CRIME: A family missing. A mum, four children and two dogs found buried under the patio… But where was the father? THE CASE: Number 55 Shuman Boulevard, in Nantes, France, was a house filled with noise and energy. Agnès and Xavier Dupont lived there with their four children Arthur, 20, Thomas, 18, Anne, 16, and Benoît, 13. They were a lively, fun-loving family. Benoît had a particular passion for the drums and could often be heard playing, while Anne was an excellent student who’d recently started modelling. Then one day, in April 2011, the house fell silent. The shutters remained closed and for days, no one entered or left the home. The difference was so stark that concerned neighbours reported it to the police. Officers arrived to find the…

Looking to update your Summer wardrobe? Get ready for a complete closet refresh, as we’re giving two lucky readers the chance to win £200 to spend with fashion retailer Cotton Traders. The well-known British brand’s latest Summer collection is everything your wardrobe deserves. From lightweight floral jersey dresses and swishy skirts to everyday statement tops, you’re guaranteed to find yourself new pieces to complete your stylish Summer look. You can also claim a 20 per cent discount on spends over £35. Simply visit cottontraders.com to shop the full collection and use code CT40 at the checkout** HOW TO ENTER ONLINE: Save money by entering online at hearstmagazines.co.uk/best2921 by 30 July 2021. PHONE: Call 0901 027 2733 by midnight on 30 July 2021. Calls cost 30p per minute, plus your telephone company’s…

CANCER 22 June – 23 July A change of scenery will do Cancerians like former Emmerdale star and television presenter Lisa Riley and presenter-turned-author Fern Britton the world of good. There will be nothing nicer than the thought of packing their suitcase, and enjoying a much-needed break. It’s time to refresh and recharge. LIBRA 24 September – 23 October You can look forward to a happy, carefree and sociable few days. A spending spree will be fun. As well as finding lots of bargains, you might see a few ideas for a wedding or anniversary gift you have to buy. An exciting work assignment will give you a chance to practise your creative talent. CAPRICORN 22 December – 20 January Your slow, cautious and careful approach will help you deal…

1 IM-PECK-ABLE BIRDS It’s difficult not to raise a smile when looking at these gorgeous rainbow lorikeets. The picture was shared on social media by Colchester Zoo, where you can feed these exquisite-looking birds. We’re particularly taken with the feathered friend on the left of the pic. There’s something about the head stance that makes us think he’s going to do something cheeky! For more info see colchester-zoo.com 2 Who wowed the crowd? The classic white dress has been given a modern makeover. Amanda Holden, 50, made a daring move in this LETOIT dress featuring-cut-out panels, while Frankie Bridge, 32, chose a sleeveless style from online brand Nasty Gal. And ruffles were the key to 40-year-old Holly Willoughby’s Kate Spade outfit. Amanda, Frankie and Holly look all white in their…

Tissues at the ready… Davina’s back with more extraordinary, moving tales of people desperate to find their Long Lost Family. If you didn’t watch her last night, you can catch up on the ITV Hub. As ever, with help from DNA experts, investigators and intermediaries, long-time presenters Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell are finding people that previously couldn’t be traced and answering questions that have haunted entire lives. As Davina says, ‘everyone needs a little hope in life’. In this new series, those stories include the oldest ever ‘searcher’ - an 86-year-old father looking for the daughter he was separated from, and a man needing the truth about why he was left as a three-month-old baby in a pram on the street. Here, the mum-of-three, 53, who is dating celebrity…

Every woman I know has been glued to the telly watching our nation sail into the finals of the Euro 2020 games. But our man of the match has never been one of the two Harrys. Neither was it the likes of syrupy Gary Lineker, paid a fortune to state the blinking obvious on the BBC. The only chap we wanted to see and hear more from was the one with the reassuringly calm presence on the side of the pitch. In his trademark unflashy navy suit, crisp pocket handkerchief and with an endearingly huge honker, heartthrob Gareth Southgate has become my middle-aged crush. Hollywood writers (usually male) typically have the fairer sex falling for dimbo men with a six-pack or a chiselled face. They are, in a word, clueless…

HOW IT WORKS If you’re already thinking ‘boring’ at the word salad – don’t turn the page just yet. Your body actually craves lighter foods like salads in Summer and you could lose up to 7lbs in seven days on our saladheavy plan – and we promise you won’t be bored. Plus, adding fresh ingredients adds colour and interest to your plate and is an easy way to get your five-a-day. • 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…

TOP TIP! Don’t use the bar directly on hair. Instead, create a lather in your hands and work this into your scalp.…

A familiar face has made a return to daytime TV of late, with Richard Madeley stepping into the seat Piers Morgan dramatically vacated in March, filling in as guest presenter on GMB. Richard, 65, is enjoying his moment in the sun, and he is even considering a return to full-time TV. ‘If the phone went and they said, “Would you come in and talk?” of course I would talk to them. It would be bonkers not to,” he has said. However, his wife, Judy Finnigan, 73, is quite content to turn her back on broadcasting and enjoy a quiet life at the couple’s Cornish home. As Richard put it, ‘Judy is very happy not to be doing television any more.’ It is the first time the pair, who have been inseparable…

ARE THEY NEGLECTING THEIR DOGS? I can see my neighbours’ garden very clearly from my bedroom window. They have two labradors that are looking increasingly sad, mangy and a little undernourished. Only on rare occasions do I see the couple outside feeding or playing with them. I don’t see them take the dogs out for walks – and so asked the other day if I could take them to the park as I was going anyway, and they told me, aggressively, to ‘mind my own business’ and slammed the door on me. I have no hard evidence but something’s not right. What should I do? I’m a little scared by this couple but as a total animal lover, I can’t stand by and watch! Carol, Belfast Well, I would say…

RETIREMENT? NO, THANKS! A complete stranger jumped to the conclusion that I was ‘retired’ the other day. He had no idea who I was and was probably surprised by my snappy ‘Why on earth would you even think that?’ response. I suppose to some people ‘looking retired’ might be taken as a compliment; you could take it to mean that you appear relaxed and contented. Personally, I was really affronted. For starters, I won’t get my state pension for a good five years, so God knows how old he thought I was and secondly, I have no intention of retiring – even when the government does see fit to bung me some cash every month. The truth is, I don’t feel remotely ready to retire. OK, so sometimes, I wish…

Despite the forensic search of the house and grounds, police could find no trace of Xavier. And as they questioned people who knew the loving family, all was not as it had first seemed. From the outside the Duponts were a wealthy, happy family, but below the surface, things were really quite different. Xavier, who purported to be a successful businessman, was broke and allegedly €20,000 in debt. The family money had run out years ago and they were living beyond their means. When his father had died a few months earlier, Xavier had inherited no money. In fact, the only thing he’d taken from his father’s flat was a .22 rifle. And Netflix documentary, Unsolved Mysteries, claims he spent the following months learning how to shoot and had recently…

It was public knowledge that Martha coped really well when her husband of 30 years left her for an older, fatter model named Gloria. Everyone told her so. ‘You’re coping really well,’ said her sister, Ruth, ‘welcome to the singles club.’ ‘You’re coping really well,’ said her friend, Louise, ‘life doesn’t end just because you haven’t got a man, does it, Dave?’ ‘You’re coping really well,’ said her son, Ed, ‘can I borrow £10, just until my student loan comes in? I can’t ask dad.’ Martha stirred her tea with a pencil and thought about the day Dan left, two weeks before. ‘Our relationship has gone stale, it’s different with Gloria,’ he had said, ‘she and I have so much in common.’ Martha had considered this for a minute. She…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES The answer will appear in the shaded boxes and this is your prize answer. Enter by using the numbers at the top of the grid or at hearstmagazines.co.uk/bestcross2921 ACROSS 1 Sprinkled with seed (4) 3 Austere people (8) 9 Cries for (7) 10 Small crude shelter (5) 11 Religious sister (3) 12 Espresso coffee and steamed milk (5) 13 Eg spaghetti (5) 15 Porcelain (5) 17 Apply pressure (5) 18 Signal for action (3) 19 Seeped (5) 20 One absorbed in themselves (7) 21 Showering with liquid (8) 22 In an inactive way; with no particular purpose (4) DOWN 1 Magnificent (13) 2 Ladies (5) 4 Long strips of cloth (6) 5 Feeling of great joy (12) 6…

BEST FOR… A CITY BREAK CAMILLIA BOATEL, EDINBURGH It’s easy to spot bright green Camillia Boatel, a self-catering barge on the Union Canal in the heart of Edinburgh. Step aboard and you’ll discover three elegant double-bed cabins (it sleeps eight with a sofa bed), polished wood-walled lounge, kitchen and large shower room. It’s all very sleek, contemporary and Instagrammable, particularly the table and chairs on deck, which is a choice spot for breakfast. Book a luxury hamper in advance and you’ll find one on board when you arrive, filled to the brim with local goodies including cured bacon, free-range eggs, mixed berry compotes and cheeses. And if you start to tire of the scenery, simply cast off for a four-hour skippered cruise along the city’s waterways. GO: From £666, minimum…

TOP TIP A pleated midi skirt is easy to wear and always looks stylish.…

1 BY THE BEACH It’s not essential to have been to the French Riviera for the heady smell of jasmine to bring back memories of the beach, or on a Pacific island for frangipani to do the same: perfumers use these luminous white flowers (often ylang-ylang, orange blossom and tuberose, too), with vanilla and coconut, to recreate the smell of sun lotion on skin. Throw in sun-baked driftwood, notes of fig and citrus, plus synthetic ingredients that capture a salty breeze, for a holiday in a bottle! Try: M&S White Coconut eau de toilette, £9.50, with sea salt and white flowers; Nivea Sun eau de toilette (EDT), £21, evoking the brand’s cheery sun lotion. Secrets of a longlasting scent If you struggle to sniff out your scent moments after you’ve spritzed,…

As we jetted to Spain on an all-expensespaid party weekend, I chatted to TV presenter Rylan Clark-Neal, who was joining us as part of the prize. ‘My mum loves entering competitions, too,’ he said, after learning the plane was full of enthusiastic ‘compers’. He went round asking us to name some of our most unusual wins and someone shouted, ‘a gravestone’. That Majorca weekend in 2019 was one of my favourite wins because I was joined by 99 members of the Facebook group Lucky Learners, which I set up for keen ‘compers’ like me. We won the prize together and it was great to meet them all. We come from all walks of life but we have one thing in common – we all know entering competitions can change your life.…

Falafel burger We’ve used fava beans for a more traditional, moister texture. But replace with the same amount of chickpeas if you can’t find fava beans. Per burger with pita (without salad and hummus): 512cals, 19g protein,21g fat (2g saturates),53g carbs (2g total sugars),17g fibre FOR THE FALAFEL 2 x 400g tin fava beans,drained and rinsedJuice of 1 lemonSmall bunch of parsley,roughly chopped1tbsp ground cumin2tsp ground coriander1 garlic clove, crushed1tsp harissa1tbsp hummus, plus extrato serve21/2tbsp plain flour200ml sunflower oil TO SERVE 4 large pita breads, toastedand split openIceburg lettuce, shreddedTomatoes, slicedCucumber, sliced 1 Place all of the falafel ingredients, except the oil, into a food processor. Add some seasoning and whiz to a coarse texture. Shape mixture into 4 patties. 2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over…

FLOORED BY HIV DIAGNOSIS I am 52 and have been dating again since splitting up from my husband four years ago, but nothing serious. I found out recently after getting some blood tests done that I am HIV-positive and I am absolutely petrified. I know it’s not a death sentence any more but, please, tell me I am going to be OK. I am having panic attacks at night, just thinking about it. Annalisa, Glasgow DR HILARY SAYS: You’re going to be OK. Being newly diagnosed as HIV-positive can be shocking, at first, but you can still lead a long and healthy life without giving up relationships or sex or anything else! To start with, you may feel numb, angry, sad and frustrated. You may feel isolated and alone. But…

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