Table of contents for 02 - 2023 in Best

At 77, Dame Helen Mirren is one of our undisputed national treasures. She currently starring in 1923 on Paramount but not only does she have an incredible career, she seems to grow more elegant by the year! And there’s no question she’s got her head screwed on about the challenges of the ageing process. When asked in a recent interview how she felt about the passing of the years, she said, ‘[It’s] simple really: Getting older. It happens. Other people call it growing older, but I call it growing up. And one of the advantages is that you literally get to be wiser. Life is a constant process of learning.’ Mirren, who is the face of L’Oréal Age Perfect and famously played Her Majesty in The Queen, has been married…

‘I just can’t do sit-ups now – I’m too exhausted’ ‘Carol can’t skip either-she trips over the rope!’ Outspoken Loose Woman and best columnist Carol McGiffin and her husband Mark Cassidy are determined to make 2023 their year of fitness. In fact, much to Carol’s annoyance, Mark is already there – as he started working out months ago and already has his six-pack, and she’s on a mission to catch him up. So best is here to capture the start of that journey and will hopefully be allowed to follow their progress as Mark turns Carol into ‘Mrs Universe 2023’. Here, the devoted pair open up about fitness inspiration, and the aim to get Carol a two-and-a-half pack by the end of the year! So, you two – is this your ‘year of health’,…

Q I’m too embarrassed to show my neck. As well as loose skin I have also developed wrinkles. Is there anything that will help smooth and tighten without being invasive? A Neck wrinkles and sagging are typically caused by ageing and collagen loss. Sun damage and smoking can also contribute, as well as tech neck – constantly looking down at mobiles and laptops. The neck also has some of the thinnest skin on the body and fewer sebaceous glands, so it lacks the benefit of natural oils to stay moisturised. Incorporate a vitamin C antioxidant serum into your routine, which can help to retain skin elasticity, followed by moisturiser and an SPF50. Look for ingredients like peptides, retinol and hyaluronic acid. You don’t have to buy special creams as facial…

TOP TIP! Studies have shown that your surroundings can greatly influence your mood. It’s known as Dopamine Decorating and can easily be achieved with bold bedding or bright accessories.…

I’M CONSTANTLY THIRSTY No matter how much water I drink, I find myself extremely thirsty all the time! At first I thought I’d overdone the alcohol over the festive period and must be really dehydrated, but I’ve been drinking water non-stop several times a day for about two weeks now and it’s not easing up. What could it be? Rachel, Maidstone DR HILARY SAYS: Feeling extremely thirsty and needing to drink constantly is called polydipsia. You have already excluded common conditions such as dehydration, alcohol, and certain foods in your diet, presumably, so now it is important to exclude one or two medical conditions that might be responsible. The commonest would be diabetes mellitus which, along with the thirst, would make you pee more, lose weight and feel very tired.…

The Here and Now Almost a decade sits between me and my accidentally viral blog post, Hunger Hurts, where I documented the realities of life as a job-searching single mother in the pit of both a recession and depression, snarled up in a confusing and hostile welfare maze, clinging to my son with an irrational fear of losing him because he was all I had in the world. I continue to talk and write about poverty because it is rare for working-class voices to break through to mainstream media platforms, and lived experiences of poverty are often shrouded in the apologetic whispers of shame, isolation, loneliness, depression, desolation and denial. Over the last decade, the queues at the food banks have grown larger, as they have been casually and deliberately ingrained…

Dancing on Ice is back sprinkling glitter across our lives during these Winter months! Alongside Phillip and Holly as hosts, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean resume their posts as judges, alongside dancers Ashley Banjo and Oti Mabuse. The celebs competing this year are: actress Patsy Palmer, footballer John Fashanu, Love Island winner Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, gymnast Nile Wilson, Coronation Street’s Mollie Gallagher, drag queen The Vivienne, TV personality Joey Essex, comedian Darren Harriott, singer Michelle Heaton, West End star Carley Stenson and The Wanted’s Siva Kaneswaran. EKIN-SU CÜLCÜLOGLU The stunning Turkish 2022 Love Island winner talks about why she’s taking part… Why are you doing this, Ekin-Su? I’m really competitive and I used to ice-skate when I was a little girl – I did a show when I was six or…

FEELING BLUE, AMAZON MUSIC Sometimes all you need is a moody, bluesy soundtrack to cry it all out! With Eurovision star Sam Ryder, Calum Scott, and plenty more. BLUES CLASSICS, SPOTIFY There’s nothing but classic blues tracks over on this Spotify playlist – so let Billie Holiday and co lift your mood this month! THE BLUES BROTHERS, SPOTIFY Could we really do a blues section without the most famous Blues Brothers of all time? All the 1980 film’s iconic songs are on Spotify for your enjoyment.…

It’s the book millions have been waiting for – some eagerly, and others (including the Royal Family) – doubtless with an impending sense of doom. But Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir, Spare, has finally seen the light of day, published around the world today - following a blitz of publicity to promote the ghostwritten volume. Some of the explosive content has already leaked – including shocking details of an alleged physical fracas between William and Harry that is said to have taken place in Nottingham Cottage, Harry’s Kensington Palace home, in 2019, the year after his marriage to Meghan. Worried about the negative turn their relationship had taken, according to the leaked extracts, Harry alleges that William went to visit Harry at his home and the encounter turned sour. William is said to…

TOP TIP! DON’T sit, lie or put undue pressue on a bottle, as it could burst. Use to heat up your bed for 10 mins before you get in.…

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that we all age. Even men – much as they like to think they age more like a fine wine, or morph into a silver fox. But do we need to show you more evidence than this exclusive pic that Tim Vincent has aged well? Yes, he has days sat around in his dressing gown. Yes, he is greyer and has a few lines – he’s even wearing glasses to read a menu! But despite one paper branding him ‘unrecognisable’, we managed to find him. Here he is and, we think, he’s ageing well… Hey, Tim. How does it feel to be, in the words of the film Notting Hill, ‘someone who looks like someone who used to be famous’? Am I ‘no longer famous’?…

GOOD TO BE BACK! It’s great to be back bringing you lovely best readers all the DOI news and gossip! Bring on the bling and the fake tan – we also have a full studio audience back this year, which gets the adrenaline pumping. This is series 15 for the show and for me. People ask what my greatest achievement is – it’s not getting to the final four times, it’s the fact that I’m still standing! A NEW EKIN-SU? I’ve seen her in training and Ekin-Su is full of fire. Viewers who think they know her from watching Love Island are going to see her in a whole new light! I think Olympic gymnast Nile Wilson is going to be extremely athletic and daring too, like Perri Kiely in…

Carrot, coconut and chilli soup I first made this recipe using frozen chunks of butternut squash, which was delicious, but using carrots makes it far more economical without compromising on the flavour or end result. Should you find yourself in possession of a squash, however, feel free to use that instead in homage to the original. And you may be surprised to know that, as with the carrots, you don’t need to peel a squash. The skin is perfectly edible, especially when fried, as here; it adds an almost toffee-flavoured undertone and plenty of fibre into the bargain. I’m almost talking myself into changing this back into a squash recipe, but carrots are cheaper, so carrots it is! Serves 4, generously • 350g carrots• 2 large onions or 250g frozen…

1 Write a list the night before If we go to sleep feeling negative, chances are we won’t sleep as well. ‘Each night, spend a few minutes writing down what you’re grateful for before you turn off your light,’ suggests physiologist and sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan. ‘This is a powerful way of creating inner safety and will help you let go of the day peacefully.’ Research from the HeartMath Institute shows that alongside helping you sleep more restoratively, gratitude bolsters the immune system and helps you recover faster from illness. 2 Keep a cool bedroom A toasty room temperature might make it easier to nod off, but you’ll wake up feeling groggier. Lowering your thermostat just before you to go bed will maintain the warmth you need to fall…

January was Iris Mortimer’s favourite month. While some people grumbled about the gloomy short days and endless cold nights, she revelled in the stillness that followed the shimmering whirl of running a florist’s shop in December. It was when she pulled in and recharged, prepared herself for the impending madness of St Valentine’s Day, when the entire world demanded flowers. And since she was also nursing a bruised heart from the end of another fledgling romance, she felt even more inclined to be kind to herself. Which was why she almost said no when Hope Henderson invited her to a mid-January dinner party. ‘The weather is so dismal,’ Hope said, waving a hand at the drizzly York streets, just visible through the steamed-up window of Blooming Dales. ‘I thought we…

STALKED: SAVING MY DAUGHTER Tuesday, Channel 5, 2.15pm A law student tries to start a new life with her baby after being attacked… but will she be able to run away forever? Gripping stuff. A DANGEROUS AFFAIR Wednesday, Channel 5, 2.15pm In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, a woman becomes the lead suspect in her husband’s murder. But of course, not all is as it seems… A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE: A MARTHA’S VINEYARD MYSTERY Thursday, Channel 5, 2.15pm After being forced into early retirement, former detective Jeff Jackson returns to a quiet life on Martha’s Vineyard. Quiet, at least, until a body washes up and he’s drawn back into crimesolving……

Leeds actress Angela Griffin, whose besties include fellow TV stars Lisa Faulkner and Amanda Holden, is a familiar face on British telly thanks to shows like Corrie, Holby City and Cutting It. Currently, she’s lighting up screens by reprising her role as Kim Campbell in Waterloo Road. Once head of pastoral care, she’s now headteacher at the school (starring alongside off-screen friends Kym Marsh and Adam Thomas), having been in the post for two years and enduring two bumpy years of Covid, stressed staff and pupils! Her mum-of-two Angela, now 46 (she has Tallulah, 17, and Melissa, 14, with hubby Jason), tells us all about her character and what she was like at school… Welcome back to Waterloo Road. How’s it been, going back to school?! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it but,…

Home is where the heart is, as the saying goes. Presenter and author Fern Britton agrees, talking about the emotional impact of returning to her childhood family home. The former This Morning host, 65, previously married to TV chef Phil Vickery, told the Loose Women panel: ‘No Place Like Home is a series that Repair Shop’s Jay Blades made about his life, and they eventually turned it into a show where it’s a different person per episode – and they chose me, I was delighted!’ She added, ‘It takes you back to the first house you ever lived in. I always think that first house is special for many people, it’s the one you dream about, the one you remember the smell of the garden and the way the path…

Emily in Paris is streaming now on Netflix TOP TIP Emily’s Parisian boss, played by Philippe Leroy-Beaulieu, wears simple looks that pack a sophisticated punch.…

SAYING GOODBYE It happens to us all at some time in our life. I’m lucky, really, it happened to me pretty late. I’m 62, my mother was 93 and very, very frail when she passed away last week. June had been receiving end-of-life care by the brilliant staff at her nursing home who saw my father through this same passage seven years ago. We were all there when my father died – my sister, brother, mother and I. It’s shocking when the last breath is taken and the next doesn’t come. But I take enormous comfort that both my parents lived long lives, though less comfort in knowing their last years were not easy. My father was like an old broken tank, everything that could go wrong physically went wrong,…

HOW IT WORKS 1 Glucose is the sugar our body needs for energy. It creates this from food – quickly from carbohydrates, more slowly from protein but, if we create a lot of glucose quickly, our body panics, shuttling the excess into our muscle, and fat, stores. This affects weight and causes a drop in energy that can lead to hunger pangs and sugar cravings. 2 Controlling blood sugar is therefore a secret weapon when you’re dieting. Keep things steady and you’ll burn off the calories you eat more effectively and be less likely to have cravings that lower willpower. 3 Changing the type and amount of carbohydrates you eat is the first step here – pick wholegrains and keep portions small, but there are also other tricks to try.…

Standing in Kaye Memorial Gardens, I shook my head sadly as I read the 50 names of the people who’d died in the Summerland disaster. Alongside the fatalities, another 100 people had been left injured… including me. It was 2019 and I’d returned to the Isle of Man yet again to commemorate the people who’d lost their lives in the devastating fire in 1973, that had left me so badly scarred, both physically and emotionally. Where Summerland, the vast five-storey leisure centre, had once stood, it was now just barren wasteland, but for me, it was full of the ghosts of the people who’d lost their lives in the most terrifying, agonising way. In a way, I’d always remained with them, here at Summerland… I was five years old when…

Turning on my induction hob to make dinner, my eyes flickered furtively to our smart meter. As I stirred the mince and added kidney beans and chopped tomatoes to our chilli con carne, the numbers climbed and climbed… ‘Look!’ I exclaimed to my husband, Carl. ‘It’s cost 70p just to make this meal.’ I know it doesn’t sound like much, but the increasing cost of living is becoming a rising concern in our household (and for millions of others, no doubt!). I could understand the soaring cost of gas and electricity but when I saw the eye-watering profits the energy companies were making, I started to resent paying my bills. ‘We need to do something,’ Carl agreed. We first started being more cautious in March 2022 after the war in…

HOW CAN I BEAT JANUARY BLUES? I am in such a deep depression after losing my dog over Christmas, but I don’t want the rest of 2023 to be like this for me. I want to get out of it so badly. I see you on This Morning being your usual positive, sparkly self – and I want to be more like that! What advice would you give to someone wanting a more positive outlook on life? Cassie, Essex Of course, you feel awful. Your beloved dog has passed, and I send you my deepest condolences. The loss of an adored pet can be a profound bereavement. You are grieving and the world feels like a harsh and unkind place. I can tell you time is a great healer, but…

CHAMPION IDEA Family pics or in this case, some very well deserved awards, add the personal touch to a home PRETTY NATURAL Though a smaller space given it’s London location, Janette and Aljaž’s beautiful red tree lifts the entire space! A CUBAN TOUCH We can see touches of Janette’s Cuban heritage in these bold, colourful ornaments. The couple’s red, vintage-style wine glasses are available from Selfridges at £18.90. CLEAN & BRIGHT The kitchen is the heart of most homes, right? And looking from Janette’s face, she’s pretty proud of her sparkly kitchen space… ON A ROLL This hilarious quote in the pro dancers’ bathroom shows they have a healthy sense of humour! The ‘Everybody Wants To Change The World but Nobody Wants To Change The Toilet Paper’ quote is available…

CAPRICORN 22 December – 20 January Hamilton and Mary Poppins star Lin-Manuel Miranda, TV presenter Claudia Winkleman and other Capricorns should keep switching activities to get the best out of the month ahead. Spending too long in any one place will cause boredom and itchy feet, so make sure you keep moving. AQUARIUS 21 January – 19 February Mixing with innovative people and attending fun events will bring out the best in you. Where credit in a team effort is due, you will prefer to step back from the limelight and leave it to someone else to get the applause. It will bring you great pleasure to help other people help themselves. PISCES 20 February – 20 March Housemates should be helping out with household chores. They can’t expect you…

Firstly, a warning – before you tune into Kathy Burke’s latest podcast, Where There’s A Will There’s A Wake – if you are offended by four-letter words, don’t! That said, the truth is, as much as we hate to think about it, our funeral is the only thing in life that is absolutely going to happen. And, as Kathy says, ‘we are all a day closer to death than we were yesterday’ – so she’s interviewed her celebrity pals, to ask if the planning of their funerals was up to them, how they might say a final goodbye… It’s not a shock to learn that Kathy Burke believes we should ‘laugh at death’. But what is surprising is that it hasn’t always been so. Her early ambition was simply to pass the…