Table of contents for 28-2019 in Best

Can it really be 20 years since Spice Girl Victoria Adams married her footballer fiancé David Beckham in a lavish do at Luttrellstown Castle? They celebrated their marriage milestone last Thursday with loved-up Instagram posts and no doubt a lot of private satisfaction after proving the cynics wrong. To be fair, when it comes to showbiz marriages, they are a one-off, outlasting contemporaries Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, Louise and Jamie Redknapp, and Patsy Kensit and Liam Gallagher. It’s not been plain sailing (see p14), but as Becks said, ‘Wow, 20 years – look at what we created!’ Congrats from the team at best! Please let me know your thoughts, siobhan.wykes@hearst.co.uk…

Staring down at my growing baby bump, it wasn’t just my belly that had started to swell. It was my fear, too. I knew most women who were pregnant for the first time must be scared – of labour, of the unknown. I was as well. But I was also just 17 years old – and HIV positive. I was utterly terrified my baby would contract HIV. So, despite hating hospitals, I was having regular check-ups and taking daily medication, even though it made me feel sick. I was excited about becoming a mum despite the complications. I’d have to have a caesarean to stop any further risk of infection. Doctors warned me there was a slim chance of infecting my baby but I didn’t believe in termination, so I…

My husband of 10 years has put on more than 2st in the past 18 months, and I just don’t fancy him anymore. I’ve cooked healthier options and encouraged exercise, but he’s just not interested. He has no idea that it’s not just his health I’m worried about – it’s our marriage. If I don’t fancy him, how much longer can this go on for? Our sex life is practically non-existent, and I’m at my wits’ end. Sara, Northampton MANDY SAYS: I’m a great believer in talking about things, but in your case, it seems you have tried to address the problem without talking about what it actually is – and I wonder why. It’s hard to comment on someone’s weight, especially when it affects how much you fancy them…

1 HOW IMPORTANT IS APR? According to TotallyMoney.com, 49 per cent of people wrongly believe that APR (annual percentage rate) is the top priority when applying for a credit card. APR tells you how much interest you pay, but it’s best to avoid paying interest in the first place by paying off your bill in full each month. Instead, see if the card gives you a period of interest-free spending or cashback, and also check if there are annual fees to pay. 2 IS IT OK TO MAX OUT MY CREDIT LIMIT? When your credit card provider gives you a spending limit, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should use it all, as it could lower your credit score. Using more than 25 per cent of your available credit is not…

FILM SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME This latest Marvel film Avengers: Endgame, and it’s full of heart, young love and some very witty one-liners. Tom Holland is back as Peter Parker, aka everyone’s favourite friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. He teams up with Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), a dimension couldn’t save his own planet from destruction, and they battle the evil Elementals across Europe. Jon Favreau and Samuel L. Jackson reprise their roles as Happy and Nick Fury in this fun film. Stay until the end of the credits, too! SHOW ON YOUR FEET! LONDON COLISEUM There’s a new juke box musical in town, and it’s a cracker. The story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan has it all – a lifelong romance, a rise to success, a fight back from disaster– and those incredible…

1 SOAKING UP THE SUN! We’re all loving the summer sun now that the weather has finally got warmer – including these two beautiful birds! This pair of puffins look as if they’re enjoying a weekend by the seaside, when they were captured on camera in Pembrokeshire. And we can’t wait for Friday to join them! 2 Who wowed the crowd? Wimbledon has served up some gorgeous frocks this year. Katherine Jenkins, 39, oozed summer style in a stripy number, while it was tennis whites all the way for The Duchess of Cambridge, 37, who stunned in a classic tea dress. Keeley Hawes, 43, mixed smart with casual by teaming her floral dress with a blazer and trainers. It’s game, set and match for these three ladies’ Wimbledon wardrobes 3…

Q My face isn’t saggy, but my skin lacks tone and tautness. How can I put the bounce back without resorting to fillers or anything invasive? Sophie, Halifax A DR AAMER SAYS: Around the age of 35, collagen and elastin production begins to taper off, and the quality of the collagen diminishes. The only way to reverse the effects is to tighten skin back to a more youthful position. Non-invasive skin-tightening treatments are some of our most popular. They are like a hi-tech facial designed to ‘wake up’ skin – a good option if you don’t want surgery or fillers. One new treatment is Forma, which improves tone, texture and irregularities for a gentle lift. A hand-held device is massaged over the treatment areas, heating the dermis and subcutaneous tissue…

Curled up on the sofa in my flat, I was on the phone to my friend, Nikki. ‘Time’s running out,’ I lamented. ‘I’m even considering freezing my eggs.’ I was coming up to 40 and Nikki, along with all my other friends, had been married for years. She had two kids and I longed for a life like hers. Every time a friend announced another wedding or baby, my own – single – circumstances hit home all the harder. I glanced up at the wall and caught sight of a framed photo of myself, sat cross-legged on Chalkwell Beach in my home town of Southend. Although I’d felt happy that day, staring at the photo now, I longed to have someone to swim in the sea with. Someone to go…

From frizz to colour fade, fine hair has plenty of other battles besides trying to add volume. Products that had claimed to improve the condition of our locks would often leave them feeling lank or weighed down, compromising our desire for that extra ‘oomph’. Good job there are some new kids on the block, then! Introducing the all-new hair heroes for va-va-volume… Fake it yourself Strengthen weak, fine locks Having fine hair can really hit your confidence, and as much as we wish otherwise, there isn’t a miracle cure to boost growth. Instead, focusing on care to keep your locks in good condition will help pave the way for healthy growth. Bananas, full of potassium and natural oils, can help prevent breakage and further weakening. Chop up one banana and…

Asparagus & cress muffin-tin quiches Crisp, golden savoury pastries bursting with a delicious summery veg filling SERVES 12 READY IN 55 MINS, PLUS COOLING PRICE PER SERVING 38p • 150g Asda Grower’s Selection Asparagus, woody ends trimmed and cut into 3cm pieces• 4 sheets ready-rolled filo pastry SOg unsalted butter, melted• 1 punnet salad cress• 2 spring onions, finely sliced• 5 medium eggs• 170g pot Asda Authentic Greek Yogurt 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. 2 Add the asparagus to a pan of boiling water and cook for 1min until bright green. Drain and rinse under cold water. 3 Unroll the filo pastry and brush each sheet with the melted butter. Stack and cut into 12 squares, trimming off any excess. Divide the filo evenly between a 12-hole…

1 A Star Is Born FROM FRIDAY, SKY CINEMA, AND NOW TV One of the biggest cinematic hits of recent years finally comes to the small screen. Anyone who witnessed those Oscar-nominated performances will already know about the scorching chemistry between Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga – it burns up the screen in this new remake of the classic love story. Bradley directs, and also stars as a hard-drinking musician who falls under the spell of a young singer. With incredible songs including Shallow and I’ll Never Love Again, it will sweep you away. 2 Agatha Raisin FRIDAY, SKY ONE, 9PM NEW SERIES Ashley Jensen returns to play PR guru turned amateur sleuth Agatha, who gets embroiled in another mystery when her arrogant but brilliant hairstylist becomes the centre of…

‘Our last day was emotional – just myself and Eleanor… very intimate and quite lovely’ With the fifth and final series of hit BBC One period drama, Poldark, filling the Sunday night slot for the last time, fans of the famous Cornish saga won’t be disappointed with its final chapter… DON’T MISS AUDIBLE Classic novels narrated by stars TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee Sissy Spacek narrates the tale that uniquely captures racial tensions in the Deep South, as siblings Scout and Jem come of age over a troubled summer. Deservedly a classic. REBECCA by Daphne Du Maurier ‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.’ This dark romance, set in Cornwall, and following a young bride haunted by her husband’s dead first wife, is narrated by the…

Love Island’s Amy Hart kicked off a feud with Kirstie before entering the villa. The former air stewardess revealed the craft queen was aboard her flight a few years ago. ‘There were spare seats in business class and she kept coming back with two kids… I had to tell them [they couldn’t sit there]’, she said, branding Kirstie the ‘worst passenger’ ever. Kirstie responded, ‘It’s absurd. Bay was probably travelling with his bigger brothers [in economy] and going backwards and forwards, resentful that his little brother was still with me and his dad. She’ll learn the hard way that, on the celeb circuit, it’s better not to be rude about other people.’ Kirstie told best, ‘Phil couldn’t understand it. He said, “You’re so much nicer than I am on planes, trains…

Should you call your kids naughty? It seems using the word ‘naughty’ to describe your children – or sending them to the ‘naughty step’ – may become a thing of the past. Up and down the country, nurseries are telling their staff not to use the word if children play up, in case it causes self-perpetuating bad behaviour. The advice instead is to take the little ’un aside and talk to them about their actions so they have a better understanding of right and wrong. Do you tell your kids they’re naughty? Did it do us any harm as youngsters when our parents used the word? Surely things have gone a step too far by calling the word politically incorrect? Tell us what you think. WHAT DO YOU THINK? Tell…

CORONATION STREET Lonely Maria tries her hand at internet dating, while Jan and Eileen get closer (left). An under-fire Gary takes a drastic step as he feels his world collapsing around him. EASTENDERS Phil grows tired of Ben’s behaviour, Jean opens up to Shirley and a stressed-out Max struggles to hold things together… And a troubled Sharon attends her midwife appointment with Phil. EMMERDALE Pete and Rhona celebrate their engagement, but it is obvious that they both have reservations. David worries about his hospital results when Jacob arrives to support him. Laurel and Jai continue to sneak about.…

10 to give away Worth over £50! This is the ultimate treat for you! Beauty fans, listen up – 10 lucky best readers can get their hands on a Soap & Glory Original Pink Heroes gift set, worth over £50. Each winner will receive one of the following products: • Clean On Me Creamy Clarifying Shower Gel • The Righteous Butter Creamy Body Wash • The Righteous Butter Body Lotion • Hand Food Hand Cream • Heel Genius Foot Cream • The Righteous Butter Body Butter • Flake Away Body Polish. With these seven beautifying body products, you’ll be set all summer long! To explore more of this awesome British range, visit soapandglory.com. To find out how to enter, see right. HOW TO ENTER ONLINE: Save money by entering online…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES TO ENTER CALL 0900 100 0334 (UK 65ppm)† /1550 787032 (ROI 97cpm) † CODE: PUBSTN19509 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: New film Anna, out last week, is named after the lead character, a deadly government assassin played by Sasha Luss. Who does 3D star as in the same movie? (4) This is your prize answer. See below for details on how to enter. ACROSS 1 Sound of something hitting water (6)4 PICTURE A What is this snooker player’s first name? (6)7 Not me – Mrs Sheep! (3)8 Agile, lithe…