Table of contents for 12 - 2018 in Best

Scarlett Moffatt has been in the wars of late, amid accusations she pulled the wool over fans’ eyes about how she really achieved her dramatic weight loss. Just two years ago, I’m A Celebrity… winner Scarlett, 27, became the poster girl for weight loss, dropping an astonishing 3st and five dress sizes – going from a size 18 to a tiny size 8 – with her first (and only) best-selling fitness DVD, SuperSlim Me Plan. But last week it emerged that the former Gogglebox couch-potato-turned-fitness-guru, who has now regained some of her curves, had left out a significant detail about her transformation… It’s been revealed that her dramatic drop in weight was helped by a stay at a gruelling weight-loss camp in Switzerland, where she followed a brutal daily regime…

THE WAY I SEE IT… Wise words from our feisty, fearless and funny columnist ‘Sheila Hancock, the veteran actress, has always been a purveyor of pragmatism and common sense in my eyes. Incredibly, at 85, she’s still working in the West End, doing eight shows a week. But she’s talked about her plan for when she can’t do that any more. She plans to go into a home, which, she says, she’s already chosen, because she doesn’t want to burden her kids with having to care for her. Of course, she’s been criticised for this by some people, who claim it’s sad, and that it’s the absolute duty of all children to care for their parents in their old age. I disagree. It shouldn’t be seen as a duty but,…

HOW IT WORKS 1 We often find weight-loss plans hard to stick to, because they don’t include the ‘treat’ foods that keep us motivated. This means we’re tempted to throw in the towel and go back to our old habits. 2 This isn’t the case with the creme egg diet, which includes everybody’s favourite Easter treat every day! The diet uses the tried-and-trusted principle that, as long as you make a minimum of 80 per cent of your diet healthy, you can relax and enjoy something ‘naughtier’ for the other 20 per cent. Overall, the diet stays within recommended limits for added sugar intake, and contains plenty of fibre, fruit and veg to keep you filled up and healthy. 3 Just enjoy the tasty breakfasts, lunches and dinners from Monday…

THOUGHT OF THE DAY Don't make excuess, make improvements to your life! My poorly dad won’t help himself… My dad has been going through a tough time recently. Health problems resulted in him quitting his job. He’s been very low – even saying he wants to take his own life. I’m desperately trying to get him to talk to someone professionally, but he says he won’t as everyone feels down at some point. I find myself feeling frustrated but I just want to help him. What should I do? May, Edinburgh I’m so sorry to hear your dad is going through a tough time. What he’s been through would shatter anyone’s confidence, and I can understand why he is feeling down at the moment. However, I do worry about your…

Simple simnel Sainsbury’s All Butter Simnel Cake, £10 Family-size and tasty, but the marzipan balls could have been softer. Asda Simnel Cake, £3.50 Light, crumbly and packed with an impressive amount of fruit. You won’t be able to resist a second slice. Country Fare Family Simnel Easter Cake at Lakeland, £16.99 Presented in a pretty tin, this smallish treat is yummy! The marzipan is a little hard, but the cake makes up for it. A touch of luxe Waitrose Easter Panettone, £10 A simple Italian comfort cake with sugar decorations on top. Kids and adults will love the light texture. Tesco Finest Italian Colomba Cake, £9 This Italian classic has a gorgeous candied orange flavour and a deliciously moreish nutty topping. Morrisons In-store Produced Large Mini Egg Gateau, £5 This…

He’s arguably the East End’s most famous face. Now, Michael Caine’s new documentary, My Generation, is a love letter to the Swinging Sixties in London. Here, the legendary 85-year-old actor sits down with best to talk about his home town, his ‘luck’ and being young in a decade that ‘had it all’… Congratulations on the film – it’s wonderful. Thank you very much! What do you miss most about 60s London? I think it’s shut down a bit socially. Not very much, but the younger generation – who I think are fabulous – have the internet, and that’s changed everything. If I wanted to discuss something with a producer, we’d go out – we’d have dinner and discuss it. Now, you sit at home and they send you a script…

They talk about men ageing like a good wine, but we reckon these three women look better with age, too. Good Morning Britain’s Susanna Reid, Kate Garraway and Charlotte Hawkins may have had good looks from the get-go but, with dodgy haircuts and questionable clothes, the ladies were far from picture-perfect when they first hit our screens. We think these ladies look even better as time goes by! Charlotte Hawkins: ‘Lost’ Let’s be honest, former Strictly contestant Charlotte looks sensational at 42. Apart from the usual baby weight struggles (she gained 3st when pregnant with daughter Ella Rose, now three), she has always been blessed with both good looks and an amazing figure. Yet looking at pictures of her in her early career, with that blonde bob complete with sensible…

For Davina, age has made her more confident – but it’s an ‘inside job’, she tells best. ‘It’s why I try more things out, take risks… I don’t care about looking ridiculous. I cared a lot more what people thought of me in my 20s and 30s.’ Davina admits that she used to have to fake it first. ‘Recently, my daughter was going to do work experience and was petrified. I said, “Just fake it until you start feeling it.” With me, I feel like I can’t tell people I’m nervous, because people expect me to be confident – so I just have to fake it until I feel it!’…

Fitness guru to Hollywood’s rich and famous, Angie’s a trained nutrionist and gym owner. She also looks sensational for 65! Calum’s flirted with addiction but, unlike his dad – footballer George – he beat it. He believes in ‘being the best me’ and now owns a gym. ADDICTION? YOU NEED TO ACCEPT HELP Calum: My father was one of the greatest footballers whose boots ever graced the pitch. He was also an alcoholic. Addiction is a disease, and one addict’s problems can level an entire family. I should know – I’ve seen the devastation. When my editor asked me to write about addiction, I shouted, ‘I’m not an addict!’ But, when I’d calmed down, it was food for thought. I am not an addict but, sadly, yes, I could have…

10 vouchers to give away With the weather warming up, we’re swooning over Primark’s new spring/summer offerings. From pretty dresses to relaxed chambray shirts and a whole host of colour-pop accessories, there’s everything you need for your ideal holiday wardrobe. We’ve teamed up with Primark to offer 10 lucky readers the chance to win a £50 voucher, so you can give your look a new-season refresh. All you need to do is enter, below! HOW TO ENTER POST: Send a postcard with your name, address, phone number and email address to: Primark Giveaway, GVBSTN18102, Hearst Magazines UK, The Data Solutions Centre, Worksop S80 2RT. Closing date for postal entries is 6 April 2018. PHONE: Call 0901 027 2710 by midnight on 3 April 2018. Calls cost 30p per minute, plus your telephone…

‘If ther e’s one thing I’ve learnt’ ‘Nurturing sibling relationships is so important. Life is very special, but it would be nothing without Maureen and my family.’ Running into the playground together on our first day at school, my twin sister, Maureen, and I couldn’t wait to cause mischief. With our wavy brown hair and blue eyes, we were identical, and our mum, Rosie, had pinned our initials on to our matching outfits so that the teachers could tell us apart. Maureen was the older twin, born 15 minutes before me, but most people found it impossible to distinguish us. Throughout our lives, we’ve loved playing up to that. When we were born, it was a big surprise for Mum and our dad, Albert. They had no idea they were…

It only seems five minutes since we were putting away the Christmas stockings, yet here we are with Easter just around the corner. For my egg hunt this year, I’ve made these cute baskets for my kids. They’re perfect for collecting chocolate eggs, or you could fill with a selection of treats and give them as an extra-special gift. Happy making! WHAT YOU NEED • Various coloured felt sheets (try Hobbycraft) • Scissors • Hot glue gun • Needle and thread • Basket of your choice (mine are from a pound shop) • Felt plant pot for the bunny (Wilko has a great selection) • Pipe cleaners • White pom-poms (homemade or pick some up from Hobbycraft) FELT FLOWERS 1 Cut out eight circles, 3cm in diameter, using felt in…

‘I was roped in to hold Frank the sloth’ Keeley Hawes, 42, has enjoyed a string of famous TV roles – Lindsay Denton in Line Of Duty, Gemma in The Missing and Alex Drake in Ashes To Ashes. She has three children and is married to her Spooks co-star Matthew Macfadyen, 43. What’s happening with Louisa Durrell in this series? Louisa ends up having an adventure in London, which was great fun. We filmed in Richmond and it rained non-stop for 12 hours. They booked rain machines but we didn’t need them! It was odd to be filming in England, but good to take us back to the family roots, and a lovely contrast to the Corfu sunshine. Will we see much progress with Louisa and Spiros? We go a…

‘I had a tough childhood’ Congrats on the new single, Unruly. When can we expect the album? Albums are a dirty word now, as most music is sold digitally these days! I’m armed to the teeth with new songs – I might just keep putting out singles. Will you be doing more co-hosting on Channel 5’s Lip Sync Battle UK? I love doing that show. I’m pretty harsh on the celebrities, but I’d be petrified if I had to do it! We’re just in the process of sorting it out, so I hope I’ll be doing more. Who were your musical inspirations growing up? I listened to a lot of jungle [drum and bass] in my bedroom, and my nan used to yell at me to turn it down! Then…

‘I’ve always thought that I wouldn’t make old bones. Losing my dad made me think, “Maybe we don’t live long”’ She celebrated her 60th birthday last October but, shockingly, funny woman Dawn French has revealed it was a birthday she thought she’d never reach. In an emotional interview recently, Dawn explained that her father’s suicide – her dad Denys tragically took his own life when she was just 19 – made her believe that she would die at a young age, too. The mum-of-one hesitated, before confessing, ‘Until quite recently, I think I’ve always thought that I wouldn’t make old bones. Losing my dad made me think, “Oh, God, maybe we don’t live long.”’ Speaking to radio DJ Fearne Cotton, Dawn admitted she fretted that she wouldn’t be around to…

TOP TIP Use soft frills and asymmetric hemlines to give the illusion of curves on boyish figures. TOP TIP Try frills for disguising figure faults. This tummy-skimming dress would flatter any shape. TOP TIP Plain block colours and simple frill details perfectly sum up the look of the season.…

Is your beauty routine age-appropriate? Your skincare needs to change and adapt as the decades go by, so follow my guide to get the optimum youthful glow… 40s – BRIGHTEN YOUR SKIN TONE Skin alters more in this decade than any other, due to the accumulated effects of long-term sun exposure and hormonal changes. If you’re looking to restore volume, hyaluronic acid fillers, from £350 per treatment, will plump out wrinkles around your mouth and help erase any nose-to-mouth lines. To help even out a patchy skin tone, a course of Lumecca IPL laser facials, from £1,250 for a course of six, can tighten pores, brighten the skin and firm your facial contours. 50s – SOFTEN WRINKLES The skin on hands and décolletage gets thinner, experiencing wrinkles and sun spots.…

‘If there’s one thing I’ve learnt’ ‘Don’t think about weight loss as going on a diet but as a change of lifestyle. That really helped me when the going got tough.’ I tried to slip my wedding ring on to my finger. It wouldn’t go past my knuckle. I tried again. No. There was no way the band of gold that represented 31 years of happy marriage was ever going over my swollen, sausage-like fingers again! I sat down and cried. As if going shopping and being reduced to buying giant tent-like dresses wasn’t enough. Now I couldn’t even get my wedding ring on. It was the final straw. At 55, I weighed 16st 5lb, which was far too big for my 5ft 5in frame. The weight had started to…

In 2018, the mission for stronger hair is big business, with 70 per cent of UK women wanting hair that’s less damaged*. So, what’s wrecking our tresses? It can be anything, from the way we brush to using heated stylers. If you don’t want to drop the likes of your heated tools – and why should you? – there are solutions, starting from as little as £4.99. Regular good habits will repair hair from the inside for a glossier’do. TAP THE APP Feel Unique allows you to ‘try’ products virtually. Free, iPhone and Android. Fake it yourself Hydrating hair mask If your scalp’s in good condition, it will really help your hair. Peaches are rich in vitamins A, B and C and are ideal for treating an itchy or dry…

TOP TIP Set the scene with cute bunny tableware and a display of bold paper blooms.…

Make 12 gorgeous greetings cards for ONLY £5 (with free P&P) – WOW! AMAZING £5 OFFER JUST FOR YOU Greetings cards are a beautiful way to show someone you care – and a homemade one, crafted with love and thought, is even better! Create and Craft has made creating cards easy with its assortment of foil, paper, borders and more in one handy collection. This set features 46 foiled and die-cut elements, with various topper shapes, sentiments, borders, tags and much more. You’ll also get an instruction sheet of brilliant ideas, so it’s perfect for novices as well as expert crafters. And it’s a great gift for any of your foodie friends and family – each topper has a lovely food-inspired sentiment, such as ‘You’re Egg-cellent!’ With all that for…

…the new Strictly Ballroom musical It’s about two people who want to dance their own steps – they don’t want to be oppressed. It’s about authenticity. The story is so current, and those are the shows that last – they speak to something that continues through the decades. …Wally, the character of the MC, created especially for Will He’s very cheeky. My ears pricked up because of the [classic 1992 Baz Luhrmann] film, and then I read the script. It’s so good and funny, but also realistic. The chance to create a character – I’ve never done that before. …why he loves playing MCs (he was a big hit as the Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret) You can manipulate audiences, jump between worlds, break the fourth wall. That is gold,…

Win EVERY WEEK WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES STRAIGHT CLUES ACROSS 7 Firing a gun (8) 9 Causing distress or sorrow (6) 10 Wicked (4) 11 Turned from liquid into gas (10) 12 Ramp (5) 14 TV, radio, press, etc. (5) 15 Office table (4) 16 Used to be (4) 17 Vicious malice (5) 18 Objects, things (5) 23 Handy, useful (10) 24 Garden tool (4) 25 Chap, man (6) 26 In the open air (8) DOWN 1 Digging tool (6) 2 A soccer score (4) 3 Lubricated (5) 4 Bend down (5) 5 Administration, control (10) 6 Length of one’s existence (8) 8 Pleased, contented (4) 13 Definitely, surely (10) 15 Sent to a military position (8) 19 Manufacturers (6) 20 Is…