Table of contents for 49-2021 in Best

We’re good friends and so I can say this – Carol McGiffin is both naughty and nice… Personally, I would have no idea what list to put her on if I was a real-life elf in Santa’s grotto. Naughty? Well, we have lost hours together in bars (we have a great idea for home cocktails on page 38)… Now that’s my sort of Christmas celebration. Very nice. I’m pretty sure Carol has never sent me a card or bought me a gift. Turn to page 9 to understand why she rarely buys them for hubby Mark either! Naughty? Is it? Maybe, as she says, Christmas should be about ‘presence not presents’! So Carol, Mark and I are going to spend some presence time together this year - but properly not…

TURN OVER FOR MORE… She arrives in the studio, shouting, ‘Don’t get me a candle for Christmas, Siobhan. You love a candle and I’m drowning in them. ‘I don’t want any more. Send me something nice this year – like Champagne!’ Well, that’s me told. The 61-year-old is nothing if not honest… but, oddly, that is her charm – and while handsome hubby Mark admits that it can cause the occasional ‘worst of rows’, her honesty appeals to him too. ‘Do you have any friends apart from me?’ I ask, trying not to smirk. ‘Well, Mark’s my best friend, not you,’ she says, erupting in peals of laughter. Her laugh is infectious. Another thing Mark, 39, loves about her, I’m sure. But what does he think to her idea of no gifts, and her idea to spend…

ANTI-AGEING RED WINE MASK For a spot of DIY vinotherapy, don’t guzzle all the wine – save some for your pores. Red wine is packed with antioxidants and resveratrol, so if you’ve had a long day, mix this concoction up… 1 tbsp red wine1 green tea bag1 tbsp plain yogurt with active cultures2 tbsp organic raw honey Make a cup of green tea and heat the honey for a few seconds. Mix the tea, honey, yogurt and wine until blended. Be sure it’s tepid before spreading the mask over your clean face and neck, and then lie back for 10-15 mins. Rinse off with lukewarm water, pat skin dry and finish your skincare routine. CRANBERRY BOOST Cranberries contain one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants. Decongest skin and shrink pores…

DON’T WANT LUPUS TO RUIN CHRISTMAS PLANS I am so excited to have the whole family at mine on Christmas Day, but my painful lupus flare-ups have been a lot worse this Winter, and I’m starting to panic I won’t be well enough to cook and host on the day. I don’t want to let anyone down, but I am trying to be realistic. I have pretty bad joint pain and my energy levels are through the floor. I just hate that it affects my life and plans like this. What can I do? Moira, Edinburgh DR HILARY SAYS: Your symptoms of lupus are typical with joint pain and fatigue, which as you know can flare up for weeks at a time and then go into remission. I expect you…

‘She acted like she was our friend… But she turned out to be a monster in designer clothing. She lured us in. She knew exactly what she was doing. I hope she rots in hell…’ ‘Epstein was a sick paedophile but Maxwell was the mastermind…’ With such vile accusations of child sex trafficking and enticement of minors between 1994 and 2004, Ghislaine Maxwell could indeed face the harshest of punishments if found guilty, and many would be calling for the maximum sentence. The crimes she is accused of committing are horrendous beyond words – grooming teenage girls before turning them over to her boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein to abuse and rape as he pleased. Epstein, an American financier who moved in elite social circles with the likes of Bill Clinton, Donald…

PARADISE CHOCOLATE CAKE This is one of those wicked, indulgent cakes that is perfect for chocoholics! Serves 8 · 120g (4½oz) Bournville dark chocolate, broken into pieces· 30g (11/4oz) cocoa powder, sifted· 4 tbsp boiling water· 200g (7oz) baking spread, straight from the fridge, plus extra for greasing· 3 large eggs· 100g (4oz) caster sugar· 100g (4oz) light muscovado sugar · 175g (6oz) self-raising flour· 2 tbsp milk· 2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed GANACHE ICING · 200g (7oz) double cream· 200g (7oz) Bournville dark chocolate, broken into pieces TO DECORATE · 100g (4oz) Bournville dark chocolate· 200g (7oz) Belgian continental white chocolate· Icing sugar, to dust 1 Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3. Grease and base line a 20cm (8in) deep cake tin and place a piece of non-stick baking…

Cards and films convince us that Christmas is a merry occasion, but for some, it can be a stressful, dark time. Depression doesn’t discriminate, nor take occasion into account. I should know. Depression has been a constant presence in my life. Sometimes it lurked in the background, at others, it wreaked havoc. I’ve been estranged from my mother most of my adult life. I grew up never feeling good enough for her. She’d tell me how ‘lucky’ I was because we had a nice home and material possessions, but I envied friends whose mothers showed them love. For so long, I believed there was something wrong with me. After much therapy, I now know my mental health problems – which included constant cravings for validation and cripplingly low self-esteem –…

4 to give away Orli Jewellery is best known for its twist on everyday pieces. The beauty of Orli Jewellery lies not just in its perfectly pink packaging or in its affordable price points, but its high-quality and thought-out designs. There is a curated mix of delicate items to statement pieces that can be engraved and personalised, making them the most beautiful and unique gifts. The website–orlijewellery.com – also features eye-catching crossbody bags, scarves and other accessories. Find Orli stocked all across the UK – see their website for further details. Four lucky best readers will win a £100 voucher to spend at Orli Jewellery online. To enter, see right. HOW TO ENTER ONLINE: Visit hearstmagazines.co.uk/best4921a by 17 December 2021. PHONE: Call 0901 027 2733 by midnight on 17 December…

SAGITTARIUS 23 November – 21 December American singing and acting icon, Bette Midler, star of Hannibal Julianne Moore and other Sagittarians are likely to be taking on a new set of responsibilities. A determination to succeed is what keeps them moving in the right direction. This should be nurtured and never underestimate the power of determination. PISCES 20 February – 20 March Someone close is keen to make a travel booking and they’re being very persuasive. Websites and brochures give a tantalising glimpse of what you could experience if you agree to join them, but you’re still worried about travel restrictions and this will cause you to be wary about your choice of destination. Why not suggest somewhere closer to home? GEMINI 22 May – 21 June You’re trying so…

THE ROAD HOME FOR CHRISTMAS 1.30pm, Channel 5, Wednesday Two rival musicians suddenly find themselves without a gig on Christmas Eve and decide to road trip to their neighbouring hometowns together… where they become much more than friends! CHRISTMAS TOWN 11.15am, Channel 5, Thursday Lauren is leaving everything behind in Boston, to embark on a new chapter in her life and career. On an unforeseen detour to the town of Grandon Falls, she discovers love and family, helping her to embrace the true magic of Christmas. DASHING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS 3.15pm, Channel 5, Thursday In this fabulously festive romance, Emily Nichols, a business consultant who travels so much she’s not seen her family all year, is trying to get home for Christmas, but encounters problem after problem until she meets…

Double Grammy Award winner Gregory Porter, 50, has been melting hearts and lifting spirits with his soulful, smooth-as-butter voice since bursting onto the global scene in 2010 (with debut album Liquid Spirit, winning him his first Grammy). Known as ‘The Man in the Hat’, he’s also responsible for bringing jazz, soul and blues to the masses. In the UK for his first tour since lockdown, with new album Still Rising, he tells best how he’s spending Christmas at home in Bakersfield, California (where he grew up) with wife Victoria and their two boys, Demyan, nine, and baby Lev. Clue: he’s cooking! It was great to see you at the Royal Albert Hall. We weren’t expecting such a rowdy crowd – are they usually like that? They become increasingly rowdy! Plus, this is a moment of change…

TURN OVER FOR MORE… Eamonn, you are choosing the clothes today – but does your wife Ruth ever try to ‘style’ you?! Oh, absolutely not. She never takes much interest in me, really… No, I’m joking! When I first met her, it was a joy to ‘style’ her! I pushed her to be a bit more adventurous, to wear a bit more ‘bling’, more tailored outfits – and in those days she would accept that, but that soon stopped, and she forged her own fashion path. She’s found her look, she has her QVC line – I’m very proud of her. You look very dapper! What do you think of your various looks? Thank you! I do have a soft spot for a nice tux, and I love a scarf.…

TOP TIP! For long-lasting scent, spray onto clean, dry skin, but don’t rub in.…

Christmas Nougat Sticky and heavenly, use your favourite unsalted nuts to make these moreish morsels. Hands-on time: 30min, plus overnight setting Cooking time: About 20min Makes about 36 squares 175g pistachio kernels100g blanched almonds75g dried cranberries275g granulated sugar150g runny honey1tbsp liquid glucose2 large egg whites, at room temperature YOU’LL ALSO NEED Edible rice/wafer paper or cornflour 1 Preheat oven to 110°C (90°C fan)/mark 1/4. Place the nuts and cranberries on a baking tray and put into the oven to keep warm. Line the base and sides of a 20.5cm square tin with baking parchment, leaving excess hanging over sides. Next, line base of tin with a rice paper square, trimmed to fit. If you can’t get hold of rice paper, liberally dust lined tin with cornflour. Set aside. 2 In…

GETTING OUR PRIORITIES RIGHT EAMONN: I think we’ll all agree that it’s been a tough, tough two years. Huge political upheaval and the pandemic – both of which we’re still coming to terms with. So, my thoughts turn towards 2022. I hope you have lots to look forward to and if we’re going to get offended, let’s be offended by the really big things, instead of sweating over the small stuff. Here are some of the things that will be on my radar to be offended by. Being unemployed is really offensive. Having no hope, no prospect of earning a decent living is offensive. Being ill or incapacitated with no recourse to the necessary medical care is offensive. Death and living with bereavement is offensive. Domestic abuse is offensive. Sexual…

Watching my aunt, Ivy Richmond, grin as we soared over the Suffolk coast in a four-seater plane, I hoped she’d enjoyed her birthday. We’d spent a night in a beautiful country hotel, had a party at my sister Sarah’s house and when she went back to her assisted living home, Ivy would climb 18 stairs to her room. That would mark the end of a year-long challenge she’d set herself. ‘Not a bad way to spend my 100th birthday,’ she smiled. It’d all started the year before in late September 2020. She’d been due to turn 99 in the October and, inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore, she’d decided she wanted to take up a challenge before becoming a centenarian. She was a determined, supportive – and sometimes stubborn! –…

THE LONDON CABARET CLUB Roar like the Twenties! The London Cabaret Club in Bloomsbury Square offers a sophisticated entertainment experience, combining fine dining with world-class performances and impeccable service. This Christmas, they take revellers back to the Jazz Age. See thelondoncabaretclub.comchristmaspartiesinle NEW DOCK HALL, LEEDS Celebrate the last night of 2021 at the New Dock Hall where, after a red-carpet arrival, there’s Happy Hour from 6pm-7pm, then a late bar until 2am. With a three-course menu and a live band and DJ, you can see in the New Year as pipers play Auld Lang Syne. See christmas parties in leeds. co.uk/new-years-eve/lastknight-in-2021/ DISCO AND FUNK NIGHT AT THE RIVOLI Get your groove on, in the most beautiful surroundings! Hosted in the Rivoli Ballroom, a Grade II listed building and one of…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES ACROSS 1 Discussion (6) 4 Technique (6) 9 Apparatus (7) 10 One more (7) 11 E.g. from Athens (5) 12 View; picture (5) 14 Health professional (5) 15 Musical instrument (5) 17 Fine powdery foodstuff (5) 18 Get as one’s own (7) 20 Not in any place (7) 21 More precisely (6) 22 Copper and tin alloy (6) DOWN 1 Injure (6) 2 Microorganisms (8) 3 Artifice (5) 5 Approve or support (7) 6 Opposite of low (4) 7 Magnitude (6) 8 Quantification (11) 13 E.g. from Italy or Spain (8) 14 Person proposed for office (7) 15 Participant in a game (6) 16 Current of air (6) 17 Less (5) 19 Cease (4) TO ENTER CALL 0900…

With the Big Day getting closer, the festive cheer is growing – though not everyone gets excited for the ‘Most Wonderful Time of the Year’. At a recent festive event for Boots, Davina McCall, 54, touched on the subject – admitting that, though she can’t wait for Christmas, she is also aware that, ‘It can be a very lonely time for a lot of people, particularly those who have loved and lost.’ And she’s been there. Back in 2017, the then-newly divorced mum-of-three took to social media on the day itself, to reveal that she was feeling low, after her split from hubby of 17 years – Matthew Robertson. ‘Hey everybody – I just wanted to say a very happy Christmas and I wanted to also say happy Christmas to…

A CHEAP CHRISTMAS? I come from an extremely successful family – most of whom my hubby and I will be sharing the festive season with. We were doing very well, too, until we both lost our jobs during the pandemic. We are barely back on our feet. I know my family will say I’m ridiculous for even thinking this, but there’s no doubt in my mind that they will go all-out with expensive gifts, and I will give them tokens in return because we just can’t afford it. It’s embarrassing. Is it normal for me to be feeling this way? I know they love me regardless. I hate feeling so materialistic. Rebecca, Leeds They are your family. Just be honest! They know your income has decreased. Tell them there should…

FINANCIALLY Fabulous Join our campaign and get your finances sorted at hearstmagazines.co.uk/ffbest for money-saving tips and brilliant advice on being financially savvy. 1 DON’T LIMIT YOUR SPENDER Why give someone one option when you can give them many? Buying a gift card that can be used at multiple stores means that even if businesses go into administration, your loved one will still end up with a present they love. One4all vouchers can be used at thousands of stores, restaurants, charities and even pet shops. Love2shop gift cards offer access to over 90 brands. These can also be exchanged for a number of single-store e-gift cards to shop online at Amazon, Primark and more. VEX gift certificates also boast thousands of retail choices including John Lewis and Ikea. 2 PAY BY…

It’s no secret that national treasure Mary Berry loves to cook more than anything else, having helped Britain make delicious dishes for more than six decades – so her latest series could not have a more fitting title. The star of the original The Great British Bake Off, 86, who was made a Dame by Prince Charles earlier this year, is currently sharing some of her extensive expertise with other passionate cooks from across Britain in Love to Cook. Mary is clearly in her comfort zone as she uncovers the joy of the UK’s obsession with food – from cooking and growing to sharing it. Here, the grand mother of-five explains why her new series is so special, and why Christmas is about to get very busy… Mary, we are loving the new…

IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK It’s great to be back after my brush with Covid! I was well looked after (my fiancé Jonathan fed me chicken soup) and rested, until I decided to paint my bedroom! It was weird watching from my sick-bed. It’s the first time I’ve missed Strictly in 18 years – even after my hip replacement I didn’t miss an episode. But Cynthia Erivo was fabulous. The judges were all very good-natured, but that’s because I wasn’t there! OBSESSED? SHE WISHES! Can you believe Motsi said I was ‘obsessed with her’? Darlings, how could I not comment on the glare from that lime-green jacket of hers? It was too much. And that wig the other week… She wears costumes that even I think are outrageous, for goodness’…

STARRY STORIES LEADING LADY TELLS ALL My Unapologetic Diaries Joan Collins W&N, £16.99 There’s only one Dame Joan, and what could be more fun than getting a window into her fabulous world with a peek at her personal diaries? Starting back in the late Eighties as Dynasty was coming to an end, these waspishly witty pages follow her from LA to Cannes, through adventures personal and professional. The Lick of Love Julian Clary Quercus, £20 Ever since he burst on to the cabaret scene as ‘The Joan Collins Fan Club’, comedian Julian Clary has had a canine companion by his side. From his first co-star (Fanny the Wonderdog) to latest pet Gigi, he recounts adventures in and out of showbiz, with his faithful pooches. Hilariously funny – but be warned, you…

Julie Graham, star of shows like Benidorm, Doctor Who and The Bletchley Circle, is absolutely glowing. The Scottish actress – who has daughters Edie, 17, and Cyd, 15, from her relationship with first husband, actor Joseph A Bennett (who tragically took his own life six years ago) – thinks some of that may be down to Davy Croket, 40. A Belgian-born skydiving instructor, they met while she was filming Benidorm at a time, she’s confessed, when she wasn’t ‘looking for love’ – and married in a low-key ceremony last March. The 56-year-old, who plays Cat Stone in Queens of Mystery, is back for a second series with ‘The Modern Art of Murder’. Here, she talks about the Emmy-nominated detective show, life with a younger man and why her 50s could be her most exciting decade yet. Julie,…

What if, rather than presents and joy, Santa brought a sense of… impending doom?! That is the premise of Keira Knightley’s latest movie, dark comedy Silent Night (also starring Lily-Rose Depp and Matthew Goode). In it, a couple invite intimate friends to Christmas dinner at their idyllic house in the English countryside. The festive goodwill is flowing – until they realise they are coming together because they will all die - tomorrow! Here, Keira, 36 – who is married to musician James Righton and has daughters Edie, six, and Delilah, two – talks about how her crazy pregnancy hormones matched the quirky energy of the film – and why her early role as Elizabeth Bennett in 2005’s Pride and Prejudice was a childhood dream come true… So, Keira, how did you get involved with Silent…