Table of contents for 9 - 2017 in Best

We’ve been almost sure for months… now Cheryl has finally gone public with her pregnancy. Ahhh! Nothing like a new baby to make us smile. Speculation first began last November, when she appeared at a concert with her pop star boyfriend, Liam Payne, and what appeared to be a baby bump. Now this pic – shown off for a new campaign to help vulnerable young people – has confirmed it. The former X Factor judge, 33, has been married twice, and Liam is 10 years her junior. I wish them well. Most mums will tell you the best decision they ever made was the one to have children. Welcome to Club Mum, Cheryl. • Please let us know your thoughts on facebook.com/bestmagazine…

Proud mam! Denise was delighted by her son Matty’s win for Best British Group – The 1975 – at last Wednesday’s Brits (left), tweeting emotionally, ‘Shaking and crying with pride.’ Actress Denise Welch, 58, has lived with depression for three decades, and last week she confessed honestly, ‘I’ve had several nervous breakdowns.’ In early February, Denise revealed that her latest mental collapse, lasting three days, had only happened two months previously. That would be terrifying for anyone, but especially for a woman who has done so much to avoid what she herself has called ‘the terrible blackness’. ‘I no longer compound my illness with alcohol – I won that battle five years ago – but I still have episodes,’ she admitted. Denise first suffered from depression after her eldest son,…

Is there nothing this man can’t turn his hand to?! Gary Barlow has just had success with BBC One talent show Let It Shine, and now the 46-year-old supremo is riding the crest of another wave, thanks to London’s debut of West End musical The Girls. Penned with his long-term pal – and screenwriter of the original Calendar Girls play – Tim Firth, the musical tells the real-life tale of North Yorkshire’s Rylstone & District Women’s Institute group, who pose naked for a calendar, raising a whopping £4 million for leukaemia research charity Bloodwise. Here, dad-of-three Gary chats to best about his latest heartwarming hit. Were the original Calendar Girls involved in the musical? I’ve met them many times. They were a big part of the whole process from the beginning,…

‘It’s no secret that I’ve been engaged to my fiancé Mark for ever (eight years, to be exact), and the reason for that is we just haven’t got round to it, nor have we ever felt the need to rush into anything. But since I’ve had cancer, and with my sister recently dying, we now know that we shouldn’t waste any more time. And I say that for reasons of inheritance as well as love. But while neither of us has a problem with marriage, I think it’s wholly wrong that, should we want to, we wouldn’t be allowed to enter into a civil partnership instead, because the law says they are only available to gay couples. Rebecca Steinfeld and her partner Charles Keidan had this confirmed after they challenged…

This month marks the 20th anniversary of the brutal murder of 13-year-old Billie-Jo Jenkins in the back garden of her foster parents’ home. She’d been battered to death with an iron tent peg and was found lying in a pool of blood. Yet two decades on, and an estimated £10 million spent on investigations, trials and appeals, the case is unsolved, and no one is currently in prison for her killing. Even before her untimely death, Billie-Jo’s childhood in east London was traumatic. Her birth father, Bill Jenkins, went to prison for assaulting a policeman. Worried about her husband’s violence, her mum, Deborah, felt she can’t cope with looking after her daughter. Aged nine, she was fostered by Lois and Sion Jenkins who, despite having the same surname, were not…

Lucy Jones Eating healthily can mean paying over the odds, especially when it comes to the latest nutrient-rich offerings. However, as dietitian Lucy Jones points out, this doesn’t have to be the case… ‘Produce such as kale, wheatgrass and goji berries are part of the food group people consider to be “super” and are often championed by health experts, who credit them with helping to slow down ageing, combating depression and boosting brain power,’ says Lucy. ‘While these foods are nutritious, they can be expensive and difficult to find. But it is possible to enjoy great-tasting food while looking after your heath and bank balance at the same time!’ SWAP KALE (£2 for 500g) for SEASONAL GREENS (45p for 350g) Leafy, dark green vegetables really do play an important role…

Freezer find A well-stocked freezer makes light work of midweek cooking. If frozen peas are your veggie of choice, try something different this week. Sainsbury’s Frozen Edamame Beans, £2, are a good alternative in bean and pea dishes, or sprinkled over salads. Cheers, Aldi! Aldi’s Spring Wine Festival is now taking place, with 12 great wines all priced under £8. Our fave boozy bargain is the Wolf House Pinot Noir, £4.99, which is smooth, fruity and easy to drink, making it the perfect tipple to toast the start of lighter nights and warmer days. QUICK & EASY Brilliant burger You don’t have to go to a restaurant to get your fix the next time you fancy a fully loaded gourmet burger. Stock up on Iceland’s new Luxury Ultimate 5oz Steak…

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‘ If there’s one th ing I’ve learnt’ ‘Believing you’re the only mother suffering at the hands of your child is a very lonely feeling. It’s only by being honest that we can get our children the help they need.’ Holding my son Jack just after he was born, in September 2011, was a moment I knew that I’d cherish for ever. Gazing into his clear blue eyes, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have this beautiful little boy. I’d never have imagined that, just five years later, I’d be living in fear of being viciously attacked – bitten, kicked, punched, scratched – by my angelic-looking son. With his mop of blond curls and innocent smile, Jack looks as if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. And, most…

With the cold weather still biting through this month, you may feel like you can’t keep your hands and feet warm, no matter which woollies you choose. For some, this is a sign of a condition called Raynaud’s phenomenon, which affects a surprisingly high number of women. Here’s everything you need to know to avoid the pain. FEELING BLUE Raynaud’s phenomenon is caused by a spasm in the blood vessels, and results in the fingers and toes becoming cold, uncomfortable and pale (often in chilly weather). The fingers will turn white and then often to blue, before returning to normal. It can be quite painful, as the blood supply shuts down temporarily. KEEP WARM With Raynaud’s, it’s important to keep your whole body warm (not just your hands) so symptoms…

JAMIE OLIVER ‘I ate more veggies, and got more sleep’ With his cookery programmes Jamie’s Sugar Rush and Jamie’s Super Food, our favourite Naked Chef has long been an advocate of healthy eating, especially in our schools. And he took his own advice in 2015 to lose a remarkable 2st. Jamie, 41, who previously admitted to surviving on only three-and-a-half hours’ sleep a night, stopped drinking during the week and has a newfound love of seaweed, nuts, herbs and eggs to whittle down his weight. But what is most intriguing – and inspiring – is that he says that he actually increased his portions to lose weight, and that it didn’t all have to be about denial. ‘I didn’t do it through not eating. I ate a lot, more than…

Slimming WORLD Recipes taken from Slimming World’s book, Free & easy, available in all Slimming World groups in the UK and Ireland, priced £4.95/€7.95. To find your nearest Slimming World group, visit slimmingworld.co.uk or call 0344 897 8000. Bucatini all’amatriciana Bucatini is long, spaghetti-shaped pasta with a hole running through the centre (like long, thin macaroni). It has a wonderful texture and is the traditional choice with this Roman sauce, although linguine or spaghetti will be great if you can’t find any. Serves 4 Ready in 30 mins Low-calorie cooking spray 250g smoked drycured back bacon rashers, visible fat removed, chopped into small pieces 1 medium onion, finely chopped ¼tsp dried chilli flakes 2 x 400g cans whole plum tomatoes 2tbsp tomato purée 500g dried bucatini pasta (or use spaghetti…

…playing her character Paula, who is a little bit of a psycho You can tell straight away she’s a bit hairy and twisted. It is a thriller, so it’s not funny, but there’s a weird feeling of nervous energy running through it – like laughing at a funeral. …experiencing rivalry Women can be bitchy, but then so can men. Some of the drama I hear from my male friends! We can all have catty behaviour, but I’m a grown woman now and I don’t believe in competition with other people – I like doing my own thing. …her favourite TV shows I grew up watching Friends religiously – and I still do – I’m on Comedy Central the whole time. Those girls really had each other’s backs. That’s how me…

Win EVERY WEEK Both sets of clues lead to the same answers, revealing in the shaded squares a British sitcom starring Lee Mack (3, 5, 3) WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £ 100 OR 3 X £50 PR I ZES STRAIGHT CLUES ACROSS 8 Privation (8) 9 Rubbed out (6) 10 Asserts ownership of (6) 11 Answer, reply (8) 12 Allow entrance to (5) 13 Inert gas (5) 14 Cooking chambers (5) 16 Employing, operating (5) 18 With a sharp gradient (5) 20 Cart (5) 25 Particular stress (8) 26 Hour of the day (1,5) 27 Not generous, unpleasant (6) 28 Away from the west (8) DOWN 1 Did not succeed (6) 2 Totting up (8) 3 Not those (5) 4 Carmen, e.g. (5) 5 Thick, stupid (5) 6 Condensation,…

She was never what you’d call waif-like, but Kelly Brook’s smoking hourglass figure turned heads wherever she went. Walk past the Kent-born actress in the street today, though, and you might not recognise her. The former model, 37, looked a million miles away from her sexy Jessica Rabbit self out in LA last week in an outfit that was more Albert Square than red-carpet glam. Of course, we can all take a bad photo, and no one should feel the need to wear make-up every time they step out, but there was no disguising the weight gain. Kelly, who last June maintained, ‘It’s not about how I look any more,’ definitely seems to have embraced her new mantra. In 2015, in fitness-obsessed LA, Kelly worked hard to shrink her fabulous…

Forget the old-fashioned facelifts involving invasive surgery and months of recovery time. Today’s treatments are much more refined… THE ‘WOW’ LIQUID LIFT The ‘frozen’ and ‘pillow’ faces of yesteryear are over. This procedure uses the new generation of dermal fillers to sculpt the face. After a local anaesthetic, injectables are used to plump cheeks, under-eye hollows and nose-to-mouth lines while boosting collagen and improving skin tone. It takes around an hour. Expect a couple of days of redness, and there may be slight bruising, both of which can be covered with mineral make-up. Results last around 18 months, and the filler ingredients increase the skin’s volume and tighten skin, too. From £900-£1,200. SILHOUETTE SOFT LIFT Also known as the Puppet Lift, this is a one-off, non-invasive treatment using special threads…

She’s struggled with her weight since she first appeared on The Only Way Is Essex in 2011, but when Gemma Collins showed off her new ‘slimmed down’ frame on Instagram last week, she was blasted as a ‘liar’ by fans! Shown behind the scenes of the show’s St Patrick’s Day episode, followers accused the larger-than-life blonde of digitally editing the image. While some of her 322,000 followers took the pics at face value, some eagle eyes noticed something a little odd. The tiles on the floor of the picture were skewed – which fans took as a sure sign that the photo had been altered. And they didn’t hold back from blasting the 36-year-old. ‘Look at the curved floor tiles… edited! So fake!’ said one. ‘The wobbly floor! Why lie…

From appearing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2009 to cooking up a storm on Celebrity MasterChef, Jo Wood, 61, is busier than ever, what with carving out a career in property development and relaunching her Jo Wood Organics range, which began in 2006 as a hobby. Mum to sons Jamie, 42, and Tyrone, 33, plus daughter Leah, 38, Jo talks to best about her love life– rekindling her romance with her ex-partner, builder Paul Scarborough, 53 – and her close friendship with ex-husband Ronnie, 69, and his new wife, Sally Humphreys, 39, who is the mother of his eight-month-old twin girls, Gracie and Alice. She also speaks about how she risked her life through years of drink and drug abuse – plus what’s really happened with pal Jerry Hall… You’re 62…

Sauvignon Blanc Asda Extra Special White Bordeaux 2015, £5.97 Oaky but with a smooth, crisp flavour. Very easy to drink! Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc, £7 Chic and citrussy, this bottle is bursting with melon and grapefruit. M&S Le Froglet 2015 Sauvignon Blanc, £8 Fresh and dry, this would pair perfectly with cheese, and leaves a lovely aftertaste. Best Tes t Chardonnay Morrisons Workshop Bench Blend Chardonnay, £4.75 Creamy and fruity, but does leave you with a bit of a headache! Aldi Exquisite Collection Limestone Coast Chardonnay, £5.79 Wonderfully woody and sweet, this is a great wine. Black Tower Silvaner Chardonnay, £5.98 Easy to drink and delightfully fruity, but does have a slightly bitter aftertaste. Pinot Grigio Bargain Booze Barefoot Pinot Grigio, £5.99 Citrus fruits make this a…

‘My daughter’s loud music drives me nuts!’ With her band, Texas, Sharleen Spiteri has sold millions of records worldwide. She tells all about their new album – and her engagement to chef Bryn Williams… Her band, Texas, took the charts by storm in the 90s, selling more than 35 million records. Now 49, Sharleen Spiteri and her bandmates are back with a new album. The new single, Let’s Work It Out, is great – and football legend Thierry Henry is in the video. Is he a friend? Yes, we’ve been pals for a long time. It was great fun having him in the video, playing my driver! I think he enjoyed himself. The single is fun, and the new album was just so easy to make – which isn’t always…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT Want to escape city chaos? Then hop over to this diamondshaped isle. Only a few miles from the mainland, it’s a twinkling gem in the English Channel, full of old-world charm, award-winning sandy beaches and natural beauty. What’s more, the scenic paths that wind around the 86 miles of coastline make the island easy to explore on foot. So pull on your walking boots and step into the great outdoors to discover a treasure trove of pretty tearooms, chocolate-box villages and breathtaking vistas. INSIDER’S GUIDE HF Holidays specialises in fun walking breaks for all fitness levels, based at the cosy Freshwater Bay Country House. Nestled at the foot of Tennyson Down, the revamped rooms, restaurant and heated outdoor pool offer sweeping views across the bay. Guided walks weave…