Table of contents for Issue 712 in Grazia

Three years ago, FOLLOWING an Embarrassing Awakening to the full extent of my own ignorance, I got involved with the campaign to win abortion rights for the women of the Republic of Ireland. Until my EA, I’d kind of known that abortion wasn’t legal in Ireland, but then, I’d forgotten, because who’s got time to worry about anything that doesn’t directly impact them? Then I’d re-remembered, but decided it wasn’t really my issue, because I’m not Irish, so probably didn’t fully get it. Then I’d forgotten again. This attitude was fabulous for many Irish politicians: it being shared by all sorts of people who, like me, didn’t bother recognising or addressing an epic, cruel injustice. An injustice that forced the women of Ireland to either travel to England to end…

DURING MY pregnancy, I remember sitting next to a woman in a café who was bottle-feeding her baby. When she saw me casually glancing over, she looked panicked and shouted, ‘It’s expressed milk!’ I didn’t really get it until a few months into motherhood and the penny dropped: when you have a baby your parenting choices are suddenly fair game for judgement by the whole world. And it’s not only other parents who judge you. In fact, when I think back to my views on parenting before I became a mum, I hang my head in shame. ‘Why would anyone give their child a dummy?’ I’d think, looking at babies on the bus. Cut to six months into motherhood, when I’d tuck my son up in bed with not just…

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Andy Murray shed tears last week as he revealed he plans to retire. The world felt his pain as possibly the greatest British tennis player ever broke down, explaining he’s struggling to recover from hip surgery. It was refreshing to see how far gender attitudes have advanced – the dated idea that ‘real men don’t cry’ was smashed out of the court by the sportsman’s display of emotion. At a time when research shows there’s a crisis in men’s mental health, a message for men not to bottle up their feelings couldn’t be more important. It serves as a reminder that Murray has many strings to his racket – he’s also an outspoken feminist – making him a true sporting champion.…

AFTER A YEAR in which the state of their marriage was ripped to shreds by social media and tabloid speculation, Victoria and David Beckham have made sure that 2019 has begun with a power statement of ‘absolute togetherness’. The year, which marks 20 years of Brand Beckham (they married on 4 July 1999), began with a lavish £30,000 New Year’s Eve party at their multimillion-pound Cotswolds home, with the couple uploading their midnight kiss to their combined 80 million-plus followers on Instagram. In marked contrast to reports last year that their marriage was ‘hanging by a thread’, cute scenes of the Beckham family partying, dancing and making merry with friends including Liv Tyler, Dave Gardner as well as David’s mum Sandra and sister Joanne, were filmed for social media, putting…

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES JERHONDA PACE is painfully nervous as she relives a conversation she had with singer R Kelly moments after they performed oral sex on each other. On finding out her age – 16 – she describes how he responded, ‘What is that supposed to mean? Tell everyone you’re 19 and act 21.’ She is one of several women who have come forward to detail sexual and domestic abuse they say they suffered at the hands of the I Believe I Can Fly singer in a new six-part docu-series, Surviving R Kelly, which hit US screens last week. (The first episode saw 1.9 million Americans tune in and social media descend into mayhem.) The series, which arrives on UK screens next month, gives a voice to women who claim…

THE GOLDEN GLOBES is the starting pistol of awards season, culminating with the Academy Awards at the beginning of March. It sets the tone for the coming weeks in Hollywood: who’s in? Who’s winning? And what are they wearing? Indeed, the question about what’s being worn on the red carpet has never been more important. Once considered the younger, boozier, more fun sister of the Oscars, with last year’s blackout, the women of the Globes threw down the gauntlet for an increasingly politicised red carpet. And while colour might be back in full technicolour glory at this year’s ceremony, the galavanised spirit remains. You could see it not only in the TimesUp x 2 bracelets and ribbons guests chose to wear, but also in their canny choices of dress and…

Catherine Gray found herself on the receiving end of a misogynistic backlash when she wrote about being single. She explores why men feel it’s their birthright to rate us, especially when we’re unattached... Last week, I published a piece in a broadsheet newspaper about taking a year off dating and arriving, aged 38, at a place where I’m happily single. Over 100 men hit ‘Comment’ on that article, and instead of responding to my actual words – given that I’m a writer rather than a model – opined on my appearance. Despite knowing better, it stung. I cried for around four hours and then went to yoga to find my zen. Except, as I walked past a pub wearing zero make-up, a bobble hat and a voluminous parka, a group…

SWEATY BETTY ALPINE CLASSICS Primary brights are de rigueur on the piste. Give them a 2019 spin by mixing them with tartan and checks. JANUARY BLUES OK, you don’t need new kit to hit the gym, but who doesn’t feel more inspired to go when they look good? STUDIO STARS Heading for the barre? Dance, yoga and Pilates call for comfort. We’ll be mixing up warm tones of red and plum. ERNEST LEROY NEON BRIGHTS Fluoro shades of green, pink and orange are ruling the slopes at Aspen this season. If it’s good enough for the A-list… GREY SCALE Black, white and 50 shades of grey are workout gear classics. Mix and match with everything. PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK…

HALF MY FRIENDS exercise regularly and the other half hibernate at the very mention of the word ‘workout’. Very few have ever set foot in a gym. When I ask what they’re scared of, the most common replies are: ‘I don’t want to look stupid’ or ‘Everyone else knows what they’re doing’. This Girl Can, the exercise initiative set up by Sport England to encourage more women to move regularly, confirms our fear of exercise in the UK. In a survey that was conducted last year, ‘Fear of judgement’ and ‘Lack of confidence’ were some of the main reasons for not moving. I started exercising properly aged 36. Knowing what I know now about the benefits of exercise (clearer head, feeling of calm, the ability to cope with life, let…

DELICIOUSLY CREAMY, ridiculously easy to make and a stunning vibrant colour – this is the Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric that dominated the internet, with thousands of people from New York to London posting Insta-images of their version of the vegetarian dish originally created by Alison Roman for her regular column in The New York Times. So what’s the secret of its success? ‘I think it has something to do with the approachability of ingredients – even if you’re afraid to cook a chicken thigh or piece of fish, you can absolutely cook a can of chickpeas,’ says Alison. ‘It’s affordable, it’s healthy(ish), and made of mostly pantry staples that most people have on hand. And it’s so visually appealing – it’s got this amazingly vibrant yellow colour,…

The Mermaid And Mrs Hancock Imogen Hermes Gowar (£14.99, VINTAGE) Set in Georgian London, albeit a surreal one where plots hinge upon the capture of a mermaid, this Women’s Prize nominee is full of courtesans, adventurers and filthy London streets full of secrets. The sense of time and place is lavishly depicted. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Susanna Clarke (£8.99, BLOOMSBURY) A tale of sparring magicians in Victorian England, this elegant and fantastical story was a best-seller. The reclusive, enigmatic Mr Norell is challenged by flashy newcomer Jonathan Strange, in a London that feels a world away yet strangely familiar. A huge, indulgent, chunky cardigan of a novel. Good Omens Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman (£8.99, CORGI) This collaboration between Pratchett and Gaiman has a TV adaptation out this spring…

STAGGERINGLY, IT’S 30 years since Madonna wrestled the stadium show from the hands of monolithic, evangelical rockers like U2 and handed it over to the girls and gays with Blond Ambition. That show was the zenith of artful, sacrilegious pop provocation. From the literal title down, it is as if Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour, now streaming on Netflix, has inched back the hands of time to undraw each stroke of Madonna’s impeccable line in the sand. It might as well be renamed Blond Apathy. The art direction of Reputation is embalmed in ’80s soft rock. Smoke cannons flair, a Spinal Tap computer-generated viper appears, a guitarist delivers a phallic solo from a plinth. Taylor flies above the Dallas stadium in the viper’s by-now shaky ribcage, then delivers an oddly…

P MOTION PICTURE ARTWORK © 2018 STXFINANCING, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Second Act goes on general release on 25 January, but Grazia readers have the chance to see it first, for free! WHEN: Wednesday 23 Jan, 6pm. WHERE: 20 cinemas nationwide. VUE Birmingham Star City, Bristol Cribbs, Croydon Grants, Edinburgh Omni Centre, Leeds Light, Manchester Printworks, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Shepherd’s Bush, Westfield Stratford, York. ODEON Cardiff, Glasgow Braehead, Greenwich, Kingston, Leicester, Liverpool One, Milton Keynes, Norwich TO GET TICKETS: To receive a pair of tickets, visit seeitfirst.com  and enter code PMG24T. But hurry, it’s first come, first served!…

GIVING A VOICE TO GRIEF I’ve just read ‘I didn’t stop feeling like a mother just because my baby died’ (7 Jan) by the amazing Jessica Clasby-Monk. I’m familiar with Jessica’s blog because my own beautiful daughter was stillborn last March, at 32 weeks and four days. Stillbirth is one of the last great taboos. It is something that people don’t want to acknowledge still happens but, on average, nine women a day in the UK are given the devastating news their baby has died. Charities such as Tommy’s and Sands, and blogs written by women like Jessica, are lights when all you can see is darkness. So thank you Jessica and Grazia for publishing an often unheard story. Kat SINGLE-MINDED JOY Thank you for the wonderful piece by Catherine…

Woman’s Hour LAUNCHED in 1946 with a male presenter (yes, really) and the broadcaster Jane Garvey once described Radio 2 as ‘extraordinarily male’. But, thankfully, BBC radio is seemingly about to become extraordinarily female. This week, Zoë Ball replaced Chris Evans as the first woman to take on Radio 2’s Breakfast Show (21 years after achieving the same feat on Radio 1), while Sara Cox (who many think narrowly missed out on the Breakfast gig) takes over the Drivetime slot from Jo Whiley and Simon Mayo. Jo, meanwhile, is now fronting the evening slot on the station from 7pm (it’ll mark her 10th anniversary at Radio 2). And if that wasn’t enough, last week, Lauren Laverne became the first woman to take over the Breakfast Show on Radio…

PHOTOS: GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK,TWITTER/THEMERL, INSTAGRAM/ARTCHATTO 1 UP CUMBERBATCH As Dominic Cummings, in Channel 4’s exhaustively discussed Brexit drama, An Uncivil War. Lust extended here not for the physical manifestation, but rather: for the talent. 2 NEW IN SANDRA OH’S DAD Got to his feet and applauded when his daughter received her Golden Globe, in a move that quite brought a tear to our eye, and we’re not ashamed to say it. 3. NEW IN THE BOUFFANT CHICKENS Fresh off the Twitter feed of @TheMERL, The Museum of English Rural Life. Following hard on the tail plumage of the Hot Duck of Central Park, in that they too are subject to blossoming online poultry lust. 4. NEW IN NATIONWIDE’S MARY Of the new advert. Mary has a man friend. Met him down…

WHEN TAYLOR SWIFT was first asked to present an award at the Golden Globes – on the night her actor boyfriend Joe Alwyn was due to attend with the cast of The Favourite – many assumed the pair would finally make their red-carpet debut together, after almost two years of dating. Not so. According to eyewitnesses at last week’s LA ceremony, the couple arrived separately, with the singer using a side entrance. Once inside, they are said to have largely remained apart, with Joe, 27, choosing to sit with his Favourite co-stars. Later, at an after-party hosted by Fox, the couple took things even further. As one source told Grazia, ‘People were getting kicked out for trying to take pictures of Taylor and Joe, including where the couple just happened…

SHOPPING: FENELLA WEBB. PHOTOS: GETTY JANUARY: NOBODY’S going out, everyone is on their best behaviour, and everything is Lycra. Wouldn’t you agree that we could all do with a dose of ‘just because’ accessorising? Well, you’re in luck. Beloved by Snow White and Hillary Clinton, Blair Waldorf and Princess Diana – the headband is back on the style agenda. (Searches have increased 54% in the last year, according to Pinterest.) If you consider the headband a little try-hard, think again. It’s actually the ultimate lazy, January accessory. Bad hair day? Throw one on. Last minute after-work plans? You know what to do. Headbands do not shame you for the sins of party season (no huffing and puffing to squeeze back into a headband). And best of all, if you’re feeling…

TWO YEARS AGO, the world watched in shock as Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States. Many shook their heads in despair as a reality TV star who boasted of ‘grabbing women by the pussy’ was sworn into the highest office. Human rights campaigners declared it would tear back progress and former First Lady Michelle Obama recently revealed that she couldn’t hide her dismay on the day, writing in her memoir Becoming that she ‘stopped even trying to smile’. Two years on, and sure enough Trump’s presidency has been dogged by scandal. He’s being investigated for Russian collusion in the 2016 election and drew criticism when he publicly shamed alleged sexual assault victims and suggested white supremacists in Charlottesville are ‘very fine people’. It would…

‘WEIRDLY, I DON’T think it’s going to hit me for a while that it’s over,’ Sharon Horgan says. ‘This thing that we spent such a huge chunk of every year doing, for the last five years.’ She pauses, then adds, ‘I’m sure it will hit me when I’m sitting on the toilet on a plane.’ It’s a fittingly Horgan-esque take on a poignant situation. Catastrophe – that thing Horgan has been working on with co-writer and co-star Rob Delaney all these years – is now in its fourth and final series on Channel 4. Much-loved and critically acclaimed not only in the UK but also the States (The New York Times called it ‘sweet and filthy’), the show, which launched in 2015, focuses on the lives of ‘Rob’ and ‘Sharon’,…

PHOTOS: GETTY, BACKGRID.ARKET: ARKET.COM. MATCHESFASHION.COM/5CARLOSPLACE Swot up on Halston. A series based on the designer’s life is in the works. D. I. S. C. O. Shrink your top and supersize your earrings. The new glamour directive according to Dundas. Don’t wait until summer to get your Birkenstocks out. The shearling clogs are perfect for now. Polish your halo. MatchesFashion.com’s wellness month makes sticking to your resolutions a little easier. (Don’t miss Rosemary Ferguson’s pop-up café.) And for double-smug points try Arket’s new seamless yoga collection knitted from recycled nylon yarns. Pump up your pockets. More is more and bigger is better.…

WE KID YOU NOT, a new fragrance lands on the Grazia beauty desk pretty much every day of the week. But what’s really interesting in the scent-o-sphere right now is not so much the notes themselves, but the new ways to wear them. Once upon a time, spritzing from a bottle was the only way to get your fragrance fix. But now the perfume industry is waking up to the fact that modern lifestyles demand more options (anyone who’s endured the trauma of having their beloved eau de parfum smash in their handbag or get confiscated by airport security will know what we’re talking about). It all kicked off last year, when fragrance doyenne Jo Malone launched the inspired Jo Loves Fragrance Paintbrush, £40, and Byredo unveiled its Kabuki Fragrances,…

The tummy-taming leggings BAM’s Enduro Deep Waistband Leggings, £48, mostly made from bamboo, are super-soft, supportive and hold your stomach in. For angst-free armpits For conscience-free and clean-smelling pits, try Ben & Anna’s natural deodorant sticks, £9.95.They are effective, contain no synthetics and the packaging is completely recyclable. The bounce-free bra A good sports bra is essential for confidence levels. Shock Absorber’s new Ultimate Run Bra, £48, goes up to an F and reduces bounce by 80%. The moulded cups add shape so no mono-boob. PHOTOS: GETTY. BAM: BAMBOOCLOTHING.CO.UK. BEN & ANNA: CONTENTBEAUTYWELLBEING.COM. SHOCK ABSORBER: JOHNLEWIS.CO…

The Binding Bridget Collins (£12.99, BOROUGH PRESS) Destined to be one of the biggest books of the year, this novel is about bookbinders… yet so much more. It’s set in a historical world where binding one’s memories in a book enables you to harness and then forget them. Part fantasy, part faux-history, part heart-in-your-throat love story, it’s Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind meets The Miniaturist, and it still says something profound about how we’re using social media to control our own narratives. It’ll be the novel we’re all discussing endlessly by spring.…

BOOKS: ALEXANDRA HEMINSLEY. PODCASTS: HARRIET KEAN. PHOTO: GETTY Jo Whiley Meets The DJ chats to Margot Robbie (above), Jodie Whittaker and Idris Elba about their lives, career highlights and favourite records. Raw Some of music’s coolest icons feature on this new podcast, which has dug up interviews from the BBC archive. Expect candid chats from The Spice Girls and David Bowie. All Hail Kale Tim Samuels explores the wellness industry in a humorous and analytical way, as he tries to separate the nonsense from good, clean eating. Featuring investigations, therapies and gurus. DOWNLOAD THE GRAZIA LIFE ADVICE PODCAST FOR BRILLIANT ADVICE FROM WOMEN WORTH LISTENING TO…

KATE AND PETE sitting in a tree ROMANCE RUMOURS surfaced after Pete Davidson left the Golden Globes with Kate Beckinsale last week. The couple were allegedly ‘flirting all night’, says a source. Kate poked fun at a fan’s response on Instagram, but refused to confirm or deny the report. Is Pete channelling his ex Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next? REESE’S BIG little teaser REESE WITHERSPOON teased a picture of the cast of Big Little Lies 2 last week. It shows herself, Shailene Woodley, Nicole Kidman, Zoë Kravitz and Laura Dern standing in a police line-up. Excited doesn’t even cover it. STRAIGHT outta Colombia LONDON, PARIS, Milan… Cartagena? Net-A-Porter’s new Colombian Collective spotlights design talent from the South American country in an exclusive curation of brands. Expect vibrant, tropically printed resort…

GIVE CONTROL FREAKS THE BOOT I wish I’d read Is it ever OK to ask your partner to lose weight? (14 Jan) 10 years ago. I’d been in a relationship for two years when, out of nowhere, my partner dumped me by text. He later told me it was because I’d put on weight and he no longer found me attractive. I was devastated. I felt worthless, ashamed and unworthy of love. I remember going to meet him to collect the last of my things and spending the week before starving myself so he’d think I looked good. Looking back, the warning signs were there. He didn’t like some of the clothes I wore and once took off my nail polish and redid it before we met his friends as…